Day after Babri hearing, Yogi prays at makeshift Ram temple in Ayodhya

Ayodhya: UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday offered prayers at the makeshift Ram Mandir at Lord Rama's birthplace on his first visit to Ayodhya after taking charge.

He also prayed at the Hanumangarhi Temple, another important religious spot in Ayodhya.

The visit comes a day after criminal conspiracy charges were framed against top BJP leaders in the Babri mosque demolition case.

On Tuesday, a special CBI court in Lucknow framed charges against BJP veterans L K Advani, M M Joshi, Union minister Uma Bharti and nine others in the 1992 Babri mosque demolition case.

Before Advani reached the court, Adityanath had met him at the VVIP guest house in Lucknow.

In a major setback to Advani, Joshi and Uma, the court on Tuesday rejected their discharge application, framing charges against them and the other nine accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

Charges of criminal conspiracy under section 120 (B) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) have been framed.

However, the accused will now move the Allahabad High Court against the CBI court's order.

Earlier on Tuesday, the court had granted bail to all the accused by signing a personal bond of Rs. 50,000.