By M Reyaz, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: Terming the demolition of the Babri mosque on December 6, 1992 as the “greatest national crime and greatest tragedy,” Justice (retd) Markandey Katju, Press Council Chief and former Chief Justice of Madras High Court, has demanded that the perpetrators must be given the “harshest punishment.”
Although Katju made no mention, his comments on the Babri demolition come a day after reports of one of the main litigants in the Ram Jamnbhoomi Babri Masjid case, Hashim Ansari having a discussion with Akhara Parishad chief Mahant Gyan Das for a new proposal for the resolution of the Ayodhya dispute that they reportedly plan to put before the Supreme Court. According to a report in The Hindu, the idea behind the plan is to find a middle path keeping in mind the sensibilities of both the Hindu and the Muslim communities.
Justice (retd) Markandey Katju (TCN file photo)
Known for his vocal views, Justice Katju, also a Rajya Sabha member, wrote on his Facebook page, on Thursday that he did not visit the controversial site at Ayodhya when he went there a couple of years ago even when he visited the Hanumangarhi temple and some other prominent temples there and even had a bath in the Saryu river.
“I refused to go to the so called ‘Ram Janma Bhoomi’, which had been erected on the site of the demolished Babri Masjid,” he said, adding, “I did not go there because I regard demolition of the Babri Masjid in December 1992 as the greatest national crime and greatest tragedy after the Partition of India in 1947 and I refuse to convey the impression that I have condoned this crime.”
He also criticised the BJP – without naming it – as he wrote: “No doubt a certain political party benefited from it by increasing its seats in the Lok Sabha from 2 to 184, but it was a catastrophe for the nation.” Incidentally, the eminent lawyer was part of the BJP till some years ago.
India’s main problems are abolition of widespread poverty and malnutrition, massive unemployment, almost total lack of healthcare and good education for our masses, etc, he said and added, “To regard building of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya as a serious issue is really diverting the attention of the people from the real issues to non-issues, and thus befooling our people to get their votes.”
(Courtesy: TOI)
He ended the Facebook note by demanding punishment for the perpetrators of the crime. “Those who incited communal tension and called for demolition of the Babri Masjid, and those who actually demolished it, were anti-national traitors to the nation, deserving the harshest punishment.”
Along with the FB post, Katju also shared a YouTube link of the famous documentary by filmmaker Ananad Patwardhan ‘Raam ke naam.’