The trio were accused of inciting a Hindu mob to destroy the 16th century mosque in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, which ignited a wave of religious violence across India.
Advani, Joshi and Bharti were among 12 present at the special Central Bureau of Investigation court in Lucknow as the judge read out the charges against them.
“The court has invoked an additional charge of criminal conspiracy against them. They will all now face a joint trial,” prosecution lawyer R K Yadav told reporters.
The trio denied any involvement in the demolition of the mosque, but the court ruled there was “enough evidence on record” to bring charges of criminal conspiracy.
They were granted bail.
Before the ruling, Bharti said she did not consider herself a criminal and saw no conspiracy behind the razing of the mosque.
“It was an open movement there was no conspiracy,” she told reporters.
A lower court had dropped the charges brought by the CBI, but the Supreme Court last month ruled they should be tried.
“The court dismissed applications by the leaders to discharge them from trial, saying there was enough evidence on record against them,”
Prashant Singh Atal, one of the lawyers for the defendants, said.
“All the leaders were present in court today. The trial will be held on a daily basis from Wednesday,” he said.
If convicted, the leaders could face a jail term between three to seven years, Atal said.
Advani and others are already being tried in a separate case for making inflammatory speeches that allegedly incited zealots
to demolish the structure.
The Supreme Court has given the court a deadline of two years to complete its trial in the case, which has dragged on for years.
Investigators have already been rebuked by court for the delay in trial.
BJP patriarch Advani, 89, who led a movement for the temple, was India’s deputy prime minister between 2002-2004.
Domestic media had speculated on him being nominated for the upcoming presidential polls.
The destruction of the mosque has fuelled numerous riots across India between Hindus and Muslims that has left thousands dead.
Many Hindus believe the mosque was only built after the destruction of a temple, and it remains hugely divisive.
Some BJP leaders, including Bharti, want a temple built on the ruins of the razed mosque – an idea that horrifies Uttar Pradesh’s significant Muslim minority.
The BJP won Uttar Pradesh in a landslide election in March, and appointed firebrand priest Yogi Adityanath as chief minister.
The trial of senior BJP leaders will raise fresh questions about Hindu nationalism within Modi’s party at a time when critics accuse his supporters of trying to marginalise minority groups and redefine India as a Hindu nation.
Yesterday, Adityanath met the three accused outside the court in a sign of support.