SC to rule on 70-year-old Ayodhya land case today
Verdict To Be Pronounced At 10.30am
Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesgroup.com
New Delhi:9.11.2019
In dramatic fashion, the Supreme Court notified at 9pm on Friday that Saturday will be judgment day for the 70-year-old Ayodhya dispute involving ownership claims by Hindu and Muslim parties over an area of 1,487sq yards in the UP town.
A bench of CJI Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer decided to deliver the verdict on a court holiday, hours after the CJI and Justices Bobde and Bhushan met the UP chief secretary and the DGP to take stock of security arrangements in Ayodhya and the state. The Delhi police too beefed up security at the judges’ houses.
The announcement sharpened the suspense on the verdict, keenly awaited by both sides. The Ayodhya dispute has been central to national politics, marking an ideological cleavage between BJP and its “secular” opponents. Several Hindu and Muslim organisations have called for calm ahead of the ruling while the Centre and states are on alert.
Security personnel stand guard on a street in Ayodhya ahead of the temple verdict
Maintain harmony after verdict: PM
PM Narendra Modi on Friday said the Supreme Court verdict on Ayodhya would not be a victory or defeat for anyone, and appealed to all citizens to maintain harmony after the judgment. P2
There will be more than one judgment in the case: Sources
The notification merely said the five-judge constitution bench would deliver judgment at 10.30am on Saturday in two cases, Shia Central Board of Waqf, UP vs Sunni Central Board of Waqf, UP; and the Ayodhya land dispute case involving four suits — filed by Gopal Singh Visharad in 1950, by Nirmohi Akhara in 1959, Sunni Waqf Board in 1961 and deity Ram Lalla Virajman through next friend in 1989. The deity and Sunni Waqf Board are locked in litigation over complete ownership over the disputed land, while Nirmohi Akhara seeks priestly rights.
The claim of Gopal Singh Visharad is to continue worshipping the deity at the place where it sits at present.
The SC notification did not indicate if the judgment will be unanimous, or by three to two, or four to one majority. However, sources told TOIthat there will be more than one judgment in the case. The centre stage on Saturday will be taken by the SC’s decision on the four suits, which were decided by the Allahabad High Court on September 30, 2010.
An interesting facet will be whether the SC takes into account the mediation panel’s October 16 report informing the court about a settlement reached between parties through negotiation.
The settlement’s main point was that the Sunni Waqf Board had agreed to give up its claim over the disputed site if certain other conditions, including restoration of two dozen mosques in Ayodhya and opening up of several other mosques under ASI control for offering of prayers.
The HC had divided the 1,487 square yards of disputed land into three equal parts, allotting the area under the central dome of the now demolished Babri Masjid to Ram Lalla, the Kaushalya (Sita) Rasoi and Bhandara area in the outer courtyard of the demolished mosque to Nirmohi Akhara and the rest to Sunni Waqf Board.
Verdict To Be Pronounced At 10.30am
Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesgroup.com
New Delhi:9.11.2019
In dramatic fashion, the Supreme Court notified at 9pm on Friday that Saturday will be judgment day for the 70-year-old Ayodhya dispute involving ownership claims by Hindu and Muslim parties over an area of 1,487sq yards in the UP town.
A bench of CJI Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer decided to deliver the verdict on a court holiday, hours after the CJI and Justices Bobde and Bhushan met the UP chief secretary and the DGP to take stock of security arrangements in Ayodhya and the state. The Delhi police too beefed up security at the judges’ houses.
The announcement sharpened the suspense on the verdict, keenly awaited by both sides. The Ayodhya dispute has been central to national politics, marking an ideological cleavage between BJP and its “secular” opponents. Several Hindu and Muslim organisations have called for calm ahead of the ruling while the Centre and states are on alert.
Security personnel stand guard on a street in Ayodhya ahead of the temple verdict
Maintain harmony after verdict: PM
PM Narendra Modi on Friday said the Supreme Court verdict on Ayodhya would not be a victory or defeat for anyone, and appealed to all citizens to maintain harmony after the judgment. P2
There will be more than one judgment in the case: Sources
The notification merely said the five-judge constitution bench would deliver judgment at 10.30am on Saturday in two cases, Shia Central Board of Waqf, UP vs Sunni Central Board of Waqf, UP; and the Ayodhya land dispute case involving four suits — filed by Gopal Singh Visharad in 1950, by Nirmohi Akhara in 1959, Sunni Waqf Board in 1961 and deity Ram Lalla Virajman through next friend in 1989. The deity and Sunni Waqf Board are locked in litigation over complete ownership over the disputed land, while Nirmohi Akhara seeks priestly rights.
The claim of Gopal Singh Visharad is to continue worshipping the deity at the place where it sits at present.
The SC notification did not indicate if the judgment will be unanimous, or by three to two, or four to one majority. However, sources told TOIthat there will be more than one judgment in the case. The centre stage on Saturday will be taken by the SC’s decision on the four suits, which were decided by the Allahabad High Court on September 30, 2010.
An interesting facet will be whether the SC takes into account the mediation panel’s October 16 report informing the court about a settlement reached between parties through negotiation.
The settlement’s main point was that the Sunni Waqf Board had agreed to give up its claim over the disputed site if certain other conditions, including restoration of two dozen mosques in Ayodhya and opening up of several other mosques under ASI control for offering of prayers.
The HC had divided the 1,487 square yards of disputed land into three equal parts, allotting the area under the central dome of the now demolished Babri Masjid to Ram Lalla, the Kaushalya (Sita) Rasoi and Bhandara area in the outer courtyard of the demolished mosque to Nirmohi Akhara and the rest to Sunni Waqf Board.
No comments:
Post a Comment