'Advani, Joshi tried to prevent crowd from demolishing masjid'

Former Shiv Sena MP Satish Pradhan today said that he had seen L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi pacifying the crowd and preventing them from going ahead with the demolition of Babri Masjid.

"I had seen Advani and Joshi controlling the crowd, pacifying them and preventing them from going ahead but no one was in a mood to listen to them and the things happened due to the mob fury," Pradhan, said recollecting the events on December 6, 1992.

Pradhan and BJP leader Om Prakash Sharma were the only two leaders from Thane who had gone to Ayodhya in 1992.

Sharma and Pradhan will be tried along with Advani, Joshi, Uma Bharti and other senior BJP leaders in the case as per the recent Supreme Court order.

The Supreme Court had order restoring criminal conspiracy charges against Advani, Joshi and Bharti in the 1992 Ayodhya Babri masjid demolition case.

Pradhan said that he was proud that his name was included in the list of those including Advani, Joshi, Bharti, who will also be tried in the case afresh.

"I am ready to face the trial," said Pradhan.