Home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday called on L.K. Advani ahead of a court summons for the 92-year-old BJP leader to record his statement in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case.

A special CBI court in Lucknow has summoned Advani to record his statement under Section 313 of the CrPC on Friday. Advani, along with party colleague Murli Manohar Joshi and others, have been charged with conspiracy. Joshi has been summoned to record his statement on Thursday. The veteran leaders will in all probability record their statements through videoconference.

Both Shah and Advani remained tight-lipped about the 30-minute meeting, but BJP leaders indicated that the issue was the court summons.

BJP general secretary Bhupendra Yadav, the party’s in-charge in the Ayodhya case, was also present during the meeting at Advani’s residence.

Advani had in the early nineties led the BJP’s Ram temple agitation that had culminated in the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.

The court summons have prompted BJP leaders to query the justification of continuing with the case when the Supreme Court has given a ruling clearing the decks for the construction of a Ram temple at the site where the Babri Masjid stood.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to lead the “bhoomi-pujan” ceremony to begin the construction of the temple on August 5. Both Advani and Joshi are likely to be present.

BJP MP Subramanian Swamy on Tuesday termed the Babri demolition case “silly” and urged the Prime Minister to close it.

“Before taking Advani, Joshi etc., to Ayodhya, PM must order closing of the silly case of the demolition of the ‘Babri Masjid’,” Swamy tweeted.