6/12: DAY OF SHAME

Babri Masjid Action Committee convenor Zafaryab Jilani, who took part in the ‘‘mourning day’’ programme said its aim was to remind the community about the demolition of the Babri mosque on December 6, 1992.

CHENNAI: Muslim outfits in Tamil Nadu observed the day by staging demonstrations demanding that the mosque be reconstructed on the site. In Chennai, volunteers of Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam took out a rally and held a demonstration. Volunteers of the Tamil Nadu Muslim League also held a demonstration. In Coimbatore, over 450 TMMK activists were arrested when they were proceeding to stage a demonstration.

LUCKNOW: Various Muslim organisations held dharnas before the UP Assembly to observe the demolition as the ‘‘day of national shame.’’ Raising slogans against the ‘‘fascist forces’’ responsible for the demolition, the protestors, including the activists of All India Muslim Forum, Muslim Majlis, Muslim League and the Minority Cell of the National Loktantrik Congress, demanded action against them. President, Muslim Forum, M.K Sherwani, regretted that even after a decade, the accused had not been brought to the book. ‘‘The picture has changed over the years and today the so called secularists who had championed the cause of Babri Mosque were busy shielding those accused of bringing it down,’’ he said.

KERALA: A virtual hartal was observed in Kasaragod town with all shops and business houses remaining closed and public transport system paralysed. Even though no organisation had called for hartal to protest the demolition, the town wore a deserted look with public transport system coming to a virtual halt, police said. Meanwhile, stray incidents of stone-pelting on vehicles were reported in Manjeshwaram, Melparamba and Kunia while a vehicle carrying copies of The Hindu was reportedly stoned near Mangalore.

VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh Muslim Minorities Forum at its executive committee meeting on Saturday resolved to ask the Centre to take up reconstruction of the mosque in view of Archaeological Survey of India report that ‘‘there was no proof of existence of any temple at the excavated site’’.

ALLAHABAD: About 200 activists of various saffron outfits were arrested for trying to stage victory procession. VHP and Sena were arrested from Muthiganj, Chowk Kydganj and other places, SP A.M. Sharma said. (ENS & Agencies)