The Congress today demanded the dismissal of Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani and Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi against whom the charges of criminal conspiracy were dropped in the new CBI chargesheet filed in the Babri demolition case.Party’s chief spokesperson Jaipal Reddy said: ‘‘Advani and Joshi must go and the Prime Minister, who is incharge of the CBI, should offer a convincing explanation to the House and the country on why the charges were dropped.’’Reddy said: ‘‘We have been arguing that if Advani and Joshi continue as ministers even after being chargsheeted, it would not only be detrimental to norms of public life but to justice itself. Our fears have been abundantly proved.’’‘‘The CBI has been reduced to a pliable political tool. If in such a huge case justice can be hijacked, then our faith in the system can get seriously eroded,’’ Reddy said. Mounting a fierce attack on Advani, Reddy said: ‘‘Advani saying that he looks after the personnel department and that it does not cover the CBI is a lame excuse.’’‘‘Since 1996, the CBI has been arguing that Advani and others were involved. Then what is the basis of his acquittal now? Did they find new evidence?’’ he asked. ‘‘Advani has used his office and has decided to be his own judge. And Arun Jaitely would like to be the judge, Law minister and the party spokesperson,’’ Reddy said, referring to Jaitely’s explanation about the dropping of charges.The party also rejected the Government’s explanation that Section 120 (B) of IPC for criminal conspiracy was not mentioned in the CBI chargesheet. Reddy said: ‘‘There were two chargesheets by the CBI, one filed in 1993 and a supplementary chargesheet filed in 1996 which has the mention of the charges. Why is the Centre not referring to the supplementary chargsheet.’’‘‘If the case was shifted from Lucknow to Rae Bareli, the basis of the case could not have changed. Fact and findings of the investigation could not have changed,’’ he said.
