New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected as many as 32 interim pleas seeking intervention in Babri Masjid-Ram temple dispute. A special bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra, justices Ashok Bhushan and SA Najeeb accepted the argument that ‘only original parties to the dispute are allowed to intervene in the case’ and ‘ the intervention applications of unrelated persons be rejected’.
The rejected pleas for intervention in the case included the pleas of BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, filmmaker Aparna Sen, director Shyam Benegal, and civil rights activist Teesta Setalvad. The court, however, ordered revival of Swamy’s disposed of petition, wherein he had sought his fundamental right to worship at Ram temple. “I had filed a writ petition saying that I have a fundamental right to worship and this is a superior right than the property right,” Swamy said.
Babri Masjid was demolished by thousands of Hindu activists in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. The riots that followed the demolition had caused a great uproar, hindering the communal harmony, along with the killing of 2000 people.
A case was filed in the Allahabad High Court, whose verdicts was pronounced on 30 September 2010. Three judges in the bench ruled that the 2.77 acres of Ayodhya land be divided into 3 parts, with 1/3 going to the Ram Lalla or Infant Lord Rama for the construction of the Ram temple, 1/3 going to the Islamic Sunni Waqf Board and the remaining 1/3 going to a Hindu religious denomination Nirmohi Akhara.
Meanwhile, the Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Wednesday added more fuel to this sensitive and heated conflict, saying that Muslims should follow the footsteps of Shia Waqf Board and support Ram temple construction in Ayodhya.
“I believe our side is stronger. We will respect the court’s decision but I would say that the way our Shia brothers have extended support to build the Ram temple, other Muslim brothers should also do so, and let go of their obstinacy because we both are descendants of Hindus,” Singh told ANI.
With agencies inputs