The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on Tuesday stayed the framing of charges against Human Resources Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

Justice Y R Tripathi gave the order on a petition filed by Joshi, challenging the September 19 verdict of the Rae Bareli court to frame charges against him.

The HC also summoned all records of the case from the Rae Bareli court and posted the matter for further hearing on November 4.

Later, defence counsel Mridul Rakesh said the court did not use the word 'stay' in its order. But the fact that it had stayed the framing of charges meant that proceedings against Joshi would remain stayed till the final disposal of his revision petition.

Soon after the HC order, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his deputy Lal Kishenchand Advani spoke to Joshi, who had resigned after the September 19 verdict.