NEW DELHI: The BJP on Thursday backed the senior party leaders who now face trial for conspiracy in the Babri mosque demolition case. Union Minister and senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad asserted that the party leaders, including L K Advani, M M Joshi and others, are innocent.
Stating that senior BJP leaders have been facing trials in the case, Prasad told reported that “the BJP believes in the innocence of senior leaders”. Incidentally, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had presided over a marathon meeting with senior ministers and BJP leaders, including the party chief Amit Shah, on Wednesday. “The party will back the senior BJP leaders facing the trial. The BJP under the leadership of Advani had led the campaign for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya. The BJP remains committed to the pledge to construct a Ram temple at Ayodhya,” said a senior BJP leader.
Advani and Joshi had discussed the issue at length on Wednesday night. The Vishwa Hindu Praishad (VHP) leaders Champak Rai and Sadhvi Ritambhara met Joshi at his residence on Thursday. The BJP chief Amit Shah has also conveyed the senior party leaders facing the trials that the party would stand with them.
However, the BJP leaders refused to be drawn in the speculation over the likely impact of the apex court order on the prospects of hopefuls for the Presidential nominations. Prasad told reporters that such speculation is “imaginary”.
Meanwhile, Amit Shah will meet all the 13 chief ministers of states ruled by the party on Sunday. he is likely to discuss the issue of the Supreme Court order on trials of senior party leaders for conspiracy charges in Babri mosque demolition case, besides organisational matters, sources said.
However, Advani and Joshi have chosen to maintain silence on the issue. A close aide of Advani said that the BJP patriarch has no comment to make for the media.