By IANS,
New Delhi: Following is the chronology of the important dates related to the Babri Masjid demolition:
Dec 22, 1949: Idols of Ram Lalla were allegedly installed inside the 16th century Babri mosque in the night by a group of Hindus following which a court ruled that the site be locked against entry to quarrelling Hindus and Muslims.
In 1984 the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) launched a massive movement for opening the locks of the mosque whose ownership was disputed by fanatical Hindus who said it was the site of an ancient Ram temple that was razed by Mughal emperor Babur.
Feb 1, 1986: Faizabad session judge allowed Hindus to worship at the site and the locks were re-opened.
Nov 9, 1989: The then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, allowed ‘shilanyas’, or ground-breaking ceremony, at an undisputed site.
Sep 25, 1990: The then BJP president L.K. Advani launched a Rath Yatra – an ancient Hindu warrior-style campaign on a chariot that was actually a converted Toyota van – from Somnath in Gujarat to Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh;
November 1990: Advani was arrested on the way in Samastipur in Bihar, following which the V.P. Singh-led coalition government, propped by the Left and the BJP, fell after the BJP withdrew support;
Dec 6, 1992: Tens of thousands of karsevaks, who had massed at Ayodhya from all over the country in what was a well-planned operation, demolished the disputed structure. The incident triggered widespread communal riots in the country and led to the loss of hundreds of lives.
Dec 16, 1992: M.S. Liberhan Commission was set up by the government to probe the circumstances that led to the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
March 12, 2003: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) began excavation in Ayodhya on the directions of the Allahabad High Court to ascertain whether a temple existed at the place where the Babri Masjid was built.
June 30, 2009: The Liberhan Commission submitted its report to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after 17 years of its formation and 48 extensions.