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Rae Bareilly: Opening the arguments in the Ayodhya demolition case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on July 5 claimed in the Special Court that Union Ministers L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi and some others had delivered "inflammatory speeches and instigated" the karsevaks to "demolish" the Babri Masjid.

Reading out the statements of about one-dozen witnesses before the Special Judge V K Singh, CBI counsel S S Gandhi said that the witnesses had averred that the accused including Advani, Joshi, Uma Bharti, Sadhvi Ritambhara and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) senior leader Ashok Singhal had given "inflammatory" speeches on the morning of December 6, 1992.

They had also "instigated" the karsevaks to demolish the Babri Masjid, Gandhi said quoting the witnesses.

Of the total 39 witnesses, the statement of 12 were read out in the court when the arguments in the case began on July 5.

Counsel for the defendants S S Ahluwalia interrupted the CBI counsel on a number of occasions and pleaded that there was no specific mention of what and when their clients gave the alleged speeches.

The arguments will continue.

PTI