In a surprise move, the main litigant from the Muslim side in the Ram Janmabhoomi title suit, Iqbal Ansari, has issued an appeal that the Babri mosque demolition case be withdrawn and all the 32 accused be freed.

The appeal came a day after the special CBI court said the judgement on the demolition case would be delivered on September 30.

The 32 accused whom Ansari wants to be freed include former deputy prime minister LK Advani, former Union minister Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharati, and former chief minister of UP, Kalyan Singh.

Ansari told reporters in Ayodhya on Thursday that the Supreme Court had given the entire land for the construction of Ram temple. He said some of the accused in the demolition case had died while most of the other accused were very old, so it would not be right to punish them at this juncture.

Ansari also demanded that all the cases related to Babri mosque demolition be withdrawn immediately.

“Ayodhya issue had in the past turned into a bone of contention between Muslims and Hindus but after the historic Supreme Court decision, now the issue should be thrown in the back burner and both the communities should end their dispute and join hands for the betterment of the country,” he said.

Ansari, who was also invited at the bhoomi pujan for the Ram temple in Ayodhya on August 5 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Ram Janmabhoomi complex and laid the foundation stone, said it was high time that all the issues related to Babri mosque should end and a new chapter should begin so that the country could achieve a new height.

After 27 years, the special CBI court will deliver its judgement on the demolition of the Babri mosque on December 6, 1992.

A total of 49 people were accused for the demolition of the mosque in two FIRs but now only 32 are alive as 17 have died.