BJP senior leader Vinay Katiyar, one of the accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case, arrives to appear before a Special CBI court in Lucknow on Tuesday. Pic/PTI 

New Delhi: Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday expressed confidence that top BJP leaders, charged with criminal conspiracy in the Babri mosque demolition case, will come out "unscathed" even as the Congress demanded resignation of Cabinet minister Uma Bharti. Bharti, along with BJP veterans L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi among others, was charged by a special CBI court in Lucknow and also granted bail in the case.

The court framed charges under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of Indian Penal Code against the BJP leaders. Naidu told reporters the accused BJP leaders are "innocent" and will come out of the case "unscathed". Naidu also noted that the NDA government did not move to withdraw the case against the top saffron leaders. Arrival of the BJP veterans for the court appearance prompted the party's Hindutva faces to raise the pitch for the construction of Ram Temple.

Also read: Babri Masjid demolition case: CBI court grants bail to L K Advani and 5 others