Owaisi: Former PM Rajiv Gandhi ordered to open locks of Babri masjid

Days before Ayodhya verdict, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday said former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi ordered to open the locks of Babri Masjid, which had nothing to do with the case of Shah Bano, reported news agency ANI.

"After the judgement, the law was violated within the next 15 minutes. Later, Rajiv Gandhi started his election campaign from there. In the five-minute hearing, an order of 25 pages is given. The opening of locks had nothing to do with the Shah Bano case," he told reporters. "Whatever Madhav Godbole has said is true. What he said about our former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi is a historical fact. On his orders, locks were opened, and there was a Congress government that time," the AIMIM chief said.

Earlier, former Home Secretary of India, Madhav Godbole said that there could have been a solution to the Babri Masjid-Ram temple dispute if Rajiv Gandhi had acted. "If Rajiv Gandhi had acted, it was possible to find out a solution because political positions had not fortified on both sides. There was a possibility to give and take and a solution could have been acceptable," Godbole had said. "Several suggestions were made to Rajiv Gandhi by many including then Member of Parliament Shahabuddin and Minister Karan Singh," he had added.

Explaining the suggestions given to the former Prime Minister, Godbole said: "Rajiv Gandhi was not interested. In fact, he went to the extent of opening the locks of the Babri Masjid and permitting 'Shilanyaas' to take place. I have called Rajiv Gandhi second Karsevak in my book. First was the District Magistrate, who allowed all this to begin."

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Supreme Court reserves verdict

The Supreme Court on October 16, reserved the verdict Ram Janmabhoomi- Babri Masjid land dispute case. The bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, and comprising of SC judges Justices S.A. Bopde, D.Y. Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan, S. Abdul Nazeer reserved the verdict. The court reserved the verdict after marathon day-to-day hearing in the case.

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Mediation panel formed to solve dispute

The apex court had earlier this year formed a mediation panel to solve the age-old dispute. The panel consisted of Justice FMI Kalifulla, Senior advocate Sriram Panchu, and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. The panel was made for 8-week and Uttar Pradesh's Faizabad was set as the location where the mediation would be held. The eight-week deadline for the mediation talks were completed on May 3. However, the deadline was extended and the apex court on July 18 asked the mediation committee to continue the process and submit a report on the progress till July 31.

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Mediation panel failed, day-to-day hearing began

On August 2, CJI Ranjan Gogoi declared that the Ayodhya mediation panel failed to come to a settlement. He declared that day-to-day hearings would start from August 6. Even after repeated appeals from both parties against day-to-day hearing, the apex court continued the process. 

(with ANI inputs)

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