India rejects Pakistan criticism of court ruling in Babri Masjid demolition case

NEW DELHI: India on Thursday strongly rejected Pakistan's criticism of the acquittal of all the 32 accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case, saying it may be difficult for the neighbouring country, having a "coercive apparatus", to understand the ethos of democracy and rule of law.

Pakistan Foreign Office on Wednesday condemned the acquittal of the accused in the case and urged the Indian government to ensure safety, security and protection of the minorities, particularly the Muslims and their places of worship.

"India is a mature democracy where the government and people abide by the verdicts of the court and show respect for the rule of law," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said at an online media briefing while replying to a question on Pakistan's reaction to the ruling.


"It may be difficult for a system with a coercive apparatus where people and the courts can be silenced at will of the establishment to understand such a democratic ethos," he added.

All the 32 accused in the Babri mosque demolition case, including BJP veterans L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, were on Wednesday acquitted by a special CBI court in Lucknow which said there was no conclusive proof against them.