(The Editor's Pick is a new newsletter from The Hindu that provides a snapshot of the most important stories from today's edition of our newspaper, along with a note from our top editors on why we chose to give prominence to these stories.) Former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, and other former Union Ministers from the BJP and senior leaders of the Sangh Parivar, have been acquitted in the Babri Masjid demolition case. The CBI court judge said that there was no evidence that they conspired to demolish the mosque on December 6, 1992 or that they instigated the mob of 'kar sevaks' that performed the act. The witness testimonies, video cassettes, voice recordings, and photographs presented by the CBI were not considered as sufficient evidence to prove that the accused "gathered in a room to plan the scheme". The Hindu's editorial today points out that thousands of persons came armed with tools for a demolition on that day, which debunks the court's observation that there was no planning. The editorial also states that there is enough material for the court to infer "marching under a banner", a sign of conspiracy as laid down by the Supreme Court. The verdict, however, is more in line with the "spontaneous act" argument that the Sangh Parivar outfits have propounded. The verdict has been welcomed by BJP and Sangh Parivar outfits, while Congress and the Left parties along with Muslim bodies have called for an appeal. L.K. Advani has stated that the verdict is a vindication of the BJP's commitment to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, which, the editorial notes, was a communally charged revanchist movement. The legalities that seem to have fallen by the wayside in the judicial process, as well as the impact of the verdict on India's social fabric is what makes this story important. |
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