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Babri Case: CBI files petition in special court. Herald, Monday , February 24, 2003 LUCKNOW, FEB 23 (PTI) The CBI has filed a petition in the special CBI court here seeking permission to begin prosecution proceedings against Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, Union Minister M M Joshi and 19 others in the Babri Masjid demolition case at Rae Bareilly court. The petition was moved before the special CBI court last Friday. As the post of the special CBI judge lay vacant following retirement of Justice Shrikant Shukla, the petion was put up before the district judge J M Paliwal who fixed February 26 for hearing the matter. The CBI has sought permission to transfer the proceedings against the accused to the special court set up at Rae Bareilly in 1993. The case was hanging fire after the Allahabad High Court quashed proceedings against Advani, Joshi and some others on the ground that the mandatory concurrence of the High Court was not obtained before issuing the notification. COMMENTS: The above comes as a long and anxiously awaited good news for the Republic of India, wherein it is apparent that our system of justice is not all compromised, is alive and kicking. The NDA government at the Centre, if it has any self respect, must demand the resignation of Advani as the country's Deputy Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister. It does not augur well for the image of this country to have a criminal, accused by none other than the country's premier investigative agency such as the CBI, occupying the country's top most posts. Conversely, if Advani has any self-respect himself, he should turn in his papers. The setting of such a precedent where a common criminal accused of a heinous crime against the secularity of the nation would be unheard of in the western and/or self respecting democracies or the world. Chances are that Advani and Joshi are likely to influence the course of this case by using their political clout. Let them defend themselves as ordinary citizens and come out of it either guilty or innocent, before occupying the country' s top most political posts. Is the CBI expected to do its job when the boss himself is in the can? This is the case of criminalisation of politics of the worst kind that this nation seeks to do away with but cannot muster the will. Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, are you listening? Hope not all of your senses have taken leave to accommodate the holy cow and Ram Rajya. There is something called the self-respect of this nation that the people of India have chosen you, and tolerate you, as its Prime Minister, to advance and take care of. Floriano Lobo goasuraj _______________________________________________ Goanet mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.goanet.org/mailman/listinfo/goanet
