Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath will visit to Ayodhya on 31 May to offer puja at the site of Ramlala.

According to a notification signed by Adityanath’s personal secretary, Kashi Nath Tiwari, the former will travel to Ayodhya’s disputed site, where the 16th century Babri Masjid existed until 6 December 1992 before Hindutva fanatics brought the structure down.

Adityanath has been a big proponent of Ram Temple at the site of Babri Masjid. His party won a historic mandate in March this year by winning 325 out of 403 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh.

His visit to Ayodhya will be seen as a big provocation as the matter is currently being heard by the Supreme Court.

A CBI court in Lucknow examining the role of conspiracy by senior BJP functionaries including LK Advani, Murali Manohar Joshi and Union Minister Uma Bharti. These leaders have been directed by the court to appear in person before the court on 30 May.

BJP stalwarts L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti will appear before a special CBI court in Lucknow tomorrow for framing of charges in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

Besides them, Special CBI judge S K Yadav had asked BJP leader Vinay Katiyar, VHP’s Vishnu Hari Dalmia and a one-time firebrand Hindutva preacher Sadhvi Ritambara to present themselves before the court in person.

While directing the accused to present themselves in person, the judge had said no application for adjournment or exemption from personal appearance shall be entertained.

The court, which is hearing two separate cases relating to the demolition of the Babri masjid, would also frame charges against Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, Mahant Ram Vilas Vedanti, Baikunth Lal Sharma alias Prem Ji, Champat Rai Bansal, Mahant Dharma Das and Satish Pradhan in the second matter.

The Supreme Court had on April 19 ordered prosecution of Advani (89), Joshi (83), 58-year-old Bharti, and other accused for criminal conspiracy in the politically sensitive case. It had also ordered day-to-day trial to be concluded in two years.

The top court had called the destruction of the medieval-era monument a “crime” which shook the “secular fabric of the Constitution” while allowing the CBI’s plea seeking restoration of criminal conspiracy charge against the four BJP leaders, including Katiyar (62), and others.

However, the Supreme Court had said BJP leader Kalyan Singh, who is the Rajasthan Governor and during whose tenure as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh the disputed structure was razed, is entitled to immunity under the Constitution as long as he holds the gubernatorial office.

It had transferred the case against Advani, Joshi, Bharti and three other accused from a Raebareli court to Lucknow for a joint trial in the demolition case.