Photos: Babri Mosque demolition - how it happened

The ‘Babri Masjid case’ finds its roots in the ‘Ayodhya dispute’, a disagreement between Hindus and Muslims since the 16th century over the ownership of a 2.77-acre plot of land.

In 1986, the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi persuaded Uttar Pradesh chief minister Bir Bahadur Singh to open the doors to Hindus to offer prayers as they consider the site to be the birthplace of Lord Rama.

In 1990, the then Leader of the Opposition, Lal Krishna Advani, organised a ‘rath yatra’ to Ayodhya with an objective to build a grand Ram Mandir on the disputed site.

Advani’s ‘rath yatra’ garnered frenzied support among Hindus across northern and western India.

RSS and VHP mobilized lakhs of Hindus and held demonstrations in support of Ram Mandir across India.

An army of ‘Kar Sevaks’ gathered in Ayodhya and started an agitation while shouting provocative slogans.

‘Kar Sevaks’ – armed and backed by VHP and RSS – were mobilized.

On December 6, 1992, the disputed structure was pulled down by ‘Kar Sevaks’ using hammers and spades.

A makeshift Ram Mandir was built on the disputed land under the aegis of the BJP, RSS and VHP leaders.

After the incident, the PV Narasimha Rao-led Congress government at the Centre established a commission of inquiry under justice M S Liberhan to investigate the demolition.

In the wake of the demolition, widespread riots broke out in several cities across India.

Over 2,000 people died and thousands more were injured in the riots.

The demolition of the Babri mosque tore apart the secular fabric of the nation and irreversibly changed the political landscape of India.