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Lal Krishna Advani (born November 8, 1927/1929, Karachi) is an Indian politician.
Advani is the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Leader of the Opposition in the 14th Lok Sabha. He is a prominent figure in his party and was the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister in the Indian government (1998-2004). Many consider him, rather than Atal Behari Vajpayee, to be the most influential figure in the party due to the latter's old age and failing health.
BBC News describes him as "one of BJP's most prominent hardliners".
Advani was born on November 8, 1929 in Karachi (now in Pakistan). His early schooling was at St.Patrick's in Karachi. He later on graduated in Law from Bombay University. Though not a practising lawyer, he argued on behalf of his party in 1974 before the Supreme Court in the Presidential reference whether election to the post of President could be held when the Gujarat Assembly was dissolved.
From 1970 to 1989, he was a member of the Rajya Sabha. In 1989 and again in 1991, he was elected to Lok Sabha and in 1991, he was elected Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
Advani will go down in history as the man who allegedly led the symbolic religious caravan (rath yatra) across the country, which left behind a trail of anti-Muslim riots killing over 3000 Muslims and burning and looting their properties in many states.
The Babri Mosque demolition was the culmination of a decade-long movement by the BJP the party Advani led which came to realise that by raising the issue of the Ram Temple they could mobilise the Hindu voters for their political party. This process achieved their goal but also polarised Indian society like never before.
In appearances before the Liberhan Commission, a judical body set up to investigate the Babri incident, Advani claimed that the demolition was the most agonising moment of his life, in another sitting he said the Ram Temple movement was a matter of pride for Hindus. In yet another appearance he confessed that the Babri demolition helped his party consolidate its vote bank.
The Ayodhya site is claimed by both Hindus and Muslims. A mosque there was torn down by Hindu activists in 1992, sparking riots nationwide that cost 2,000 lives.
Some Hindus say it was the site of an earlier temple and a new one should be built there.
Speaking to correspondents on his appointment as President of BJP, Advani said: "We must be candid enough to recognise the Hindu anger that exploded on the streets in the early 90s has given way to a patient wait for the new temple whose construction, I feel is inevitable."
At present the Indian opposition leader, Advani could face criminal charges following a court ruling in the state of Uttar Pradesh. It ruled that an earlier order which exonerated Advani for his role in the destruction of a mosque at Ayodhya by a mob in 1992 should be reviewed.
The Central Bureau of Investigation applied for the case to be re-examined. It also wants the cases of other people who were cleared of involvement in the mosque destruction to be reviewed.
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