Indian court acquits Hindu nationalist leaders in mosque demolition case

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lal Krishna Advani addresses his supporters during an election campaign in Ahmedabad, April 20, 2014. REUTERS/Amit Dave/Files

LUCKNOW, India (Reuters) - An Indian court on Wednesday acquitted Hindu nationalist leaders, including former deputy prime minister Lal Krishna Advani, in a case over the demolition of a mosque at a disputed site 28 years ago, citing a lack of evidence.

The demolition sparked nationwide riots that killed more than 3,000 people in a decades-long dispute that has fuelled Hindu-Muslim tension, as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's campaign for Hindu renaissance helped bring it to power.