New Delhi, September 23: The Delhi high Court today turned down a plea by the Ramlila Committee seeking its permission to use the premises of a century old Ram Temple for starting a procession during Dushhera in Chandni Chawk. The Committee, which has been at loggerheads with the Mahants of the temple for the ownership, pleaded it should be allowed to use the premises for flagging off the procession.
“The Ram Mandir belongs to the Committee and thereby it has the legitimate right to use the temple for taking out the procession from the temple during Navratras,” the committee told the court. The Mahants of the temple, however, refuted the contention and placed before the court the documents of pre-independence time which confers on them the right to manage the affairs of the temple.
Advocate Tariq Siddiqui, appearing for Mahants, contended that no procession could be allowed from inside the temple. The Court, after hearing both sides, refused to give relief to the Committee and restrained it from starting any procession from inside the temple.
—PTI–