Advani, who was accused in Babri Masjid demolition, skips Ram Temple ceremony
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The consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attended by a massive crowd, including prominent figures from various fields, was marked by the notable absence of veteran BJP leader and former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, reportedly due to his ill health.
Known for leading the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in the 1990s, Advani's rath yatra in 1990 culminated in the controversial demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992.
At the age of 96, Advani was reportedly advised by the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, along with his colleague Murli Manohar Joshi, not to attend the ceremony, citing extreme cold conditions in north India. However, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad made a public display by inviting the two senior BJP leaders.
The ceremony, held on Monday, was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking a historic moment in the construction of the Ram temple.
L.K. Advani assumed leadership of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in 1984, and in 1989, the BJP declared the construction of a Ram temple as its key political agenda. The movement gained momentum in the autumn of 1990 when Advani launched a rath yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya, symbolically connecting the historical lineage of Muslim aggression to the reconstruction of the Somnath temple.
The yatra, marked by Advani carrying symbolic weapons such as a Trishul, an axe, a sword, and a bow and arrow, was not without controversy. Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad workers pasted posters along the route depicting the proposed temple and expressing their anger towards Muslims, with the narrative of the ‘treachery’ of Muslims.
The yatra was marred by large-scale violence, rioting, and killings, leading to Advani's arrest in October 1990 by the Bihar government. Despite his arrest, thousands of kar sevaks managed to reach Ayodhya, resulting in clashes with the police and the tragic death of 20 individuals.
The climax of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement came on December 6, 1992, when a mob of kar sevaks, led by a group of BJP leaders under Advani's guidance, demolished the Babri Masjid, triggering widespread repercussions that resonate in India's political history to this day.
