Ayodhya: Guilty will be punished, says Cong

NEW DELHI: The Congress today said the law of the land should prevail in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case and the guilty should be punished.

In an initial reaction to the Supreme Court order restoring criminal conspiracy charge against top BJP leaders including L K Advani, M M Joshi and Uma Bharti, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, "the Supreme Court has spoken. Let law of the land take its own course without fear or favour. Let justice be done and guilty punished."

"Law of the land is equal for everyone irrespective of stature, caste, creed, religion or region," he said.

The Congress leader's response came in the wake of the apex court allowing the CBI plea to restore criminal conspiracy charge against top BJP leaders L K Advani, M M Joshi and Uma Bharti in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case.

The court also clubbed the trial in the matter pending against the said leaders and 'karsevaks' and ordered day-to- day trial with the proceedings to be completed in a period of two years.