Babri demolition: Who gave the signal to build the structure, what did the President do?

Babri Mosque Demolition: 6 December 1992 is a date in the history of Indian democracy which has not been forgotten even after the passage of time. The collapse of the Babri Masjid, built in the 16th century in Ayodhya, was not only the high point of a religious controversy, but it also left a deep impact on politics, communal relations and the justice system. The events that took place that day changed the direction of the country and many decisive decisions were taken in the years that followed. In the year 2019, the Supreme Court legally put an end to this matter. Today Ram temple has been constructed there. But, before and after the demolition of the disputed structure, many such incidents took place which cannot be forgotten. When the structure was demolished, the then Narasimha Rao government had indicated to reconstruct it. On the other hand, after the incident of demolition, the BJP ruled state governments of 4 states were dismissed.

Veteran Congress leader and former Union Minister Salman Khurshid has mentioned the events before and after the Babri demolition in his book ‘Sunrise over Ayodhya: Nationhood in Our Times’. Khurshid wrote, ‘The Narasimha Rao government has given clear indications that it wishes to rebuild the demolished mosque and the Attorney General reiterated the same in the Supreme Court. With time he would have understood that such a move could rekindle the sparks that were still burning deep inside. On the other hand, as Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs, I was sent to West Asian countries to reassure our friendly countries. The then Kalyan Singh government of Uttar Pradesh was dismissed on the same day. The BJP governments of Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh were also ousted.

3 big decisions of the court

1. 2010 Allahabad High Court gave its decision to divide the disputed land into three parts.
2. 2019 In a unanimous verdict, the Supreme Court cleared the way for the construction of the temple at the disputed site and ordered the Muslim side to give 5 acres of land at another place.
3. 2020 The special CBI court acquitted all the accused due to lack of evidence.

After the demolition of Babri Masjid, the condition and direction of national politics changed. (File photo/PTI)

6 December 1992: The day history changed

About 1.5 lakh Karsevaks had gathered in Ayodhya. Around 12 noon the crowd crossed the security cordon and climbed the domes. Within a few hours the centuries old Babri Masjid was demolished. This incident brought the country’s politics to a new turning point. Later, the investigation into the demolition of the mosque was handed over to the CBI. Many senior leaders (49 people including Lal Krishna Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti) were accused of conspiracy and instigating the mob. Let us tell you that Babri Masjid is believed to be built in 1528 on the orders of Mughal ruler Babar’s commander Mir Baqi. Regarding the mosque, Hindu organizations claimed that it was built by demolishing an earlier temple built at the birthplace of Lord Ram. Historians have had differing opinions on this claim, but this controversy gradually took a political form.

What was the impact on politics?

The incident of 6 December 1992 changed the politics of India at a deep level. The national rise of BJP began. After the temple movement and demolition, BJP’s support base increased rapidly. This was the same period when the party started becoming the central force of national politics. At the same time, Congress’s hold continued to weaken. Congress was accused of adopting a dual policy in handling the Ayodhya dispute, which weakened its traditional vote bank. Along with this, regional parties continued to flourish and become stronger. Leaders like Lalu Prasad Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav increased their support base in the name of secular politics.