A special court in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh, set up to hear the Babri Masjid demolition case has issued summons to Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani, Union Human Resource Development Minister Manohar Joshi, Vishwa Hindu Parishad chief Ashok Singhal and five others to appear before it on April 16.

The five are Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party chief Vinay Katiyar, VHP vice-president Vishnu Hari Dalmia, senior VHP leader Giriraj

Kishore, Madhya Pradesh BJP president Uma Bharati and saffron party leader Sadhvi Ritambra.

The summons were issued on Monday.

The Central Bureau of Investigation has shifted all papers related to the case to this special court following the Supreme Court's intervention.

PTI