| The case stems from a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) petition challenging the dropping of proceedings against the party leaders by a special court in May 2001. |
| Admitting the CBI's revision petition for hearing, Justice MA Khan also issued notices to party leaders Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti, Kalyan Singh, and former state BJP president Vinay Katiyar and 14 other accused, including Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray and VHP leader Ashok Singhal. |
| The court fixed December 16 for final hearing of the matter. The CBI has prayed for setting aside the then Special Judge (Ayodhya) SK Shukla's order dropping proceedings against the accused after the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court quashed the Uttar Pradesh government's notification constituting the special court to try the case (No 198/92) registered at the Ram Janambhoomi police station against Advani, Joshi, Bharti, Katiyar and five others. |
| If the court accepts the CBI's plea, the trial of Advani and other accused will start in the court of the special judge (Ayodhya). |
| Though the CBI had filed the revision petition against the trial court order in 2001, it was admitted today. The investigating agency has also sought a direction to the special court (Ayodhya) for proceedings against all the 46 accused in the case. |
| A review petition on the quashing of the special court ruling has also been filed by Mohammad Aslam Bhure and is likely to come up for hearing soon. |
| The BJP reacted cautiously to the news. "We will give an appropriate legal reply, since the previous order had cleared us," said BJP leader Arun Jaitley. |
| On the other hand, Kalyan Singh alleged that the CBI's move was done at the Centre's behest. |
| "The CBI is acting on the instruction of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi," Singh told reporters in Lucknow. |
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