Advani instigated us to pull down mosque: Accused

Five people accused of being involved in the Babri Masjid demolition alleged on Saturday they had pulled down the mosque at the instigation of Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani and other senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders.

Advani's lawyer Satyapal Jain, however, denied the charge.

"There is no evidence against Advani and the allegation seems to be tutored against him. I think there seems to be some mischief somewhere. The credentials of these people who are now saying this is yet to be established," he said.

The five -- Vinod Vatsa, Santosh, R C Khatri, Amar Nath Goyal and R N Das -- made the allegation while speaking to reporters outside the special CBI court hearing the case in Delhi.

They alleged the senior BJP leaders named as accused had got their case separated by 'exerting influence' and demanded that all accused be treated at par as far as the trial was concerned.

Jain said as per the evidence before the Liberhan Commission of Inquiry, no leader, witness or CBI official has said that there is any proof against Advani, Union Human Resources Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi and Madhya Pradesh BJP unit chief Uma Bharati.

"I think in the (special CBI) court also till date no witness has said that they did anything at the asking of Uma Bharati or Advani or Joshi," he said.