Ayodhya: I, not LK Advani, ordered demolition of Babri mosque; ready to be hanged, says Ram Vilas Vedanti

Faizabad: Two days after the Supreme Court ordered senior BJP leader LK Advani to face trial on conspiracy charges in connection with the Babri Mosque demolition case, former BJP MP Ram Vilas Vedanti said on Friday that it was he who provoked a frenzied mob to raze the disputed structure in 1992.

"He had no role in this incident," Vedanti told the media, referring to LK Advani, one of the senior most leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 

"I brought it down and ensured that it went down," Vedanti added.

Interestingly, Vedanti is one of the 13 people accused by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of conspiring to bring down the 16th century mosque at Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.

The reactions from Vedanti came two days after the Supreme Court directed the special court in Lucknow to proceed with the trial against BJP leaders Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Union Minister Uma Bharati and BJP MP Vinay Katiyar among others.

Vedanti recalled that when the mosque was being attacked by a mob, he along with late VHP leader Ashok Singhal and Mahant Avaidyanth exhorted the 'kar sewaks' to ensure that it came down brick by brick.

He said it was vital to raze the mosque to the ground quickly so that a makeshift Ram temple could be raised on its ruins.

"It was I who said 'Ek dhakka aur do, Babri Masjid tod do'."

Vedanti also said that while he and others were inciting the mob, Joshi, Advani and Vijayraje Scindia were trying to calm the 'kar sevaks'. 

He demanded that the 67.77 acre acquired land around the disputed site be handed over to the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyaas. 

The mosque razing led to widespread Hindu-Muslim violence in the country.

With IANS inputs