Not involved in conspiracy, wrote Advani on the order

After a gap of more than one-and-a-half decades, the building housing the Special CBI Court (Ayodhya Prakaran) rented with chants of slogans like 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Ram lala hum aaynge, mandir wahi banayenge'.

As soon as the convoy of the 89-year-old former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, who was accompanied by his daughter Pratibha, reached the Institute of Cooperative and Corporate Management, Research and Training (ICCMRT) compound, saffron-clad BJP-VHP leaders welcomed the Ayodhya Hero with chants of Jai Shri Ram. Advani, who got down from his vehicle and looked around, however, didn't reciprocate to the cheers from the crowd and walked away to the court room.

It was Advani's second visit to the building in connection with the Ayodhya case. Except for signing papers and occasionally accepting greetings from other BJP and VHP leaders, he remained stoic-faced throughout his three-and-half hours' stay in the court room.

For the comforts of the ageing accused, CBI Judge Justice SK Yadav had already shifted the court room to the ground floor from the third floor. Advani kept cool till the bail was granted but lost his temper when he pleaded 'not guilty' and their discharge application was rejected.

Tension ran high in the court room when Advani refused to accept and sign the charge-sheet served on him after framing of conspiracy charges. His daughter and Dr Joshi had tough time convincing Advani that his signature was a mere legal formality to approach the higher court. After much persuasion, he agreed to sign it but with a strong protest. "I am not involved in the conspiracy," an upset Advani wrote on the order to protest framing of conspiracy charges against him.

Sporting blue Sadari (half jacket) Advani and Dr Joshi were the last to leave the court room. Both of them closeted with a battery of lawyers to discuss filing revision petition in the High Court to challenge the CBI Court's Tuesday's order.

Significantly, from Advani to Uma, Katiyar and others denied the conspiracy charge against them. In the court room, Katiyar in lighter vein provoked Dr Ram Vilas Vedanti twice to get his statement recorded in the court that Advani and Dr Joshi were not involved in conspiracy but they tried to save the mosque from being razed.

Earlier, Advani was welcomed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at VVIP guest House where Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, Union Minister Uma Bharati, BJP MP Viay Katiyar, Vishnu Hari Dalmia, Sadhvi Ritambhara, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, Dr Ram Vilas Vedanti, Mahanat Dharam Das and other accused assembled before leaving for the CBI Court.

Ironically, a day after framing of charges against Advani and others, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is visiting Ayodhya to pay obeisance to Ram Lala at the makeshift temple and hold dialogues with saints and seers involved in the temple movement.

& Analysis

Much water has flown since 1989 when Advani took out Rath Yatra from Somnath 1989 and gave a new direction to the Ramjanambhoomi movement.

Advani used to start and end all his speeches with 'Jai Shri Ram'. It's perhaps for the first time a stony-faced Advani seemed not wanting to hear it.