I, Not Advani, Incited Mob To Raze Babri Mosque: Ex-BJP MP Ram Vilas Vedanti

New Delhi: On Friday, ex-BJP MP Ram Vilas Vedanti said it was he and not former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani who egged a frenzied mob to raze the Babri Masjid in 1992. "He (Advani) had no role in this incident. I brought it down and ensured that it went down." Vedanti said. "It was I who said 'Ek dhakka aur do, Babri Masjid tod do'", he added.

Recalling the incident, Vedanti said when the mosque was being attacked by a mob, he along with the late Ashok Singhal and Mahant Avaidyanth encouraged the VHP activists to ensure that it came down brick by brick. Vedanti said it was vital to demolish the mosque to the ground quickly so that a makeshift Ram temple could be raised on its ruins. (Image courtesy: Praveen Jain)

While he and others were inciting the mob, Joshi, Advani and Vijayraje Scindia were trying to calm the 'kar sevaks', Vedanti further said. (Image courtesy: Praveen Jain)

Advani is one of the senior most leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Vilas Vedanti is one of the 13 people accused by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of conspiring to bring down the 16th-century mosque at Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. (Image courtesy: Praveen Jain)

The demolition of mosque led to widespread Hindu-Muslim violence in the country. (Image courtesy: Praveen Jain)

The incident happened on December 6, 1992. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court directed the special court in Lucknow to proceed with the trial against BJP leaders Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, BJP MP Vinay Katiyar and Union Minister Uma Bharati among others. (Image courtesy: Praveen Jain)