Advani, Vajpayee sing different tunes

New Delhi: On the 13th anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition, every BJP leader has his own take on the issue. While L K Advani says that a temple will be built, Atal Behari Vajpayee says demolition is regrettable.

"We hoped that the temple will be built with everybody's support and help but today, it was a regrettable affair," Vajpayee said.

Addressing a public gathering in Gazipur in East Uttar Pradesh Advani said "All of us want the Ram Mandir to be built there. There is no question about it. It has to be built at the disputed site itself".

While Advani chose not to visit his political karmabhoomi, he made sure that his message was sent across clearly to his detractors, just days before he steps down from the BJP President's post.

Unlike Advani, time has run out for the firebrand Sanyasin, Uma Bharti made her mark on the national political scenario during the Ayodhya agitation.

Ironically, on the eve of the Babri demolition, the BJP sacked her. For Kalyan Singh, the other mascot, its been a bumpy ride as well and the same holds true for leaders like Murli Manohar Joshi and Vinay Katiyar.

Ever since the BJP?s India Shining campaign failed to bring it back to power and a series of failures in various states, the hardliners within the party started raking up the Hindu sentiments again.

The BJP has started hailing MLA Krishnananda Rai?s killing as an attack on the entire Hindu community. As the case is already on against Advani and eight others in the Rai Bareilly court, it remains to be seen how BJP will play the temple card again.

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Politics of the past

Even before the dust from the destroyed 500-year-old structure began to settle, politics of inquiries was on full throttle.

The police lodged two FIRs against the accused in 1992. The first was against the karsevaks and the second was against the high profile BJP and VHP leaders.

A number of BJP heavyweights were charged in the second FIR like L K Advani, M M Joshi, Uma Bharati, Vinay Katiyar, Ashok Singhal, V H Dalmia, Sadhvi Ritambara and Acharya Giriraj Kishore.

In 1993, the case was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation and the UP government too set up a special court in Rae Bareli.

In October 1993, the CBI filed a composite charge sheet against 21 accused and investigations continued for the next eight years.

But in 2001, the Rai Bareli Court barred the CBI from investigating the case, and also dropped charges against all the accused.

In September 2003, court exonerated Advani and virtually closed the case.

The Liberhan Commission, the CBI and the CID were simultaneously asked to investigate the demolition while the Allahabad Bench, the Rae Bareli Bench and the Luckhnow CBI Special court were also involved in the investigations.

Out of the long list of accused, Vijay Raje Sindia and Ramchandra Paramhans, named in the original list, have died.

Early this year, the Allahabad High Court issued fresh notices to all 21 accused who have been exonerated due to legal loopholes. But the Liberhan panel is yet to submit its report.

Even after 13 years, two investigating agencies, three High Courts and tonnes of files have not been able to nail a single person for the Babri act.