Uttar Pradesh Cooperative Minister Mukut Bihari Verma on Saturday triggered a controversy when he claimed that the Supreme Court, which “belonged to us”, would ensure the construction of the controversial Ram temple in Ayodhya, News18 reported.
The top court is hearing appeals against the judgement of the Allahabad High Court, which in 2010 ruled a three-way split of the disputed 2.77 acres in Ayodhya on which the Babri Masjid had stood. The mosque was demolished by Hindutva activists in 1992. The High Court had ruled that the land be divided equally between the Sunni Waqf Board, the Hindu organisation Nirmohi Akhara, and the deity Ram Lalla (infant Ram), which is represented by the Hindu Mahasabha.
While speaking to reporters in Bahraich, the Bharatiya Janata Party legislator said his party had promised to build the temple at the site and that it would fulfill its promise.
When a reporter reminded him that the Supreme Court was yet to announce its verdict on the matter, Verma said, “Supreme Court main hain tabhi toh! .. Supreme Court bhi toh hamara hi hai na, nyay palika bhi hamari hai .. vidhan palika bhi hamari hai .. yeh desh bhi hamara hai .. mandir bhi hamara hai [It is because the matter is in the Supreme Court, as the Supreme Court is ours. The judiciary is ours, the country is ours and the temple is ours too],” the minister is heard saying in the video.
After his comments drew criticism from various quarters, Verma told Hindustan Times he was quoted out of context. “I merely meant that the Supreme Court too is part of this country and belongs to us and that we are sure the temple will come up in Ayodhya,” he told the newspaper.
He further said: “Humne kya galat kaha ki Supreme Court bhi hamara hai ... arrey bhai hamara toh sabhi kuchh hai ... jab yeh desh hamara hai toh sabhi kuchh hamara hi hai na. [What was wrong about what I said. I said Supreme Court is ours...when the country is ours, everything is ours.]”
In February, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Chandra Maurya said the state government will not intervene in any negotiations to resolve the Ayodhya dispute and will accept the Supreme Court’s verdict in the matter.
In July, the Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board told the Supreme Court that it wants to settle the Ayodhya dispute peacefully and is willing to give the Hindu community one-third of the land the Allahabad High Court had granted to Muslim petitioners.
Opposition demands apology
Samajwadi Party leader Tariq Siddiqui demanded an apology from Verma. “We all hold the courts in the highest esteem, but even if you consider that the minister meant something else, the casual approach with which the remarks have been made show that ministers in Uttar Pradesh do not think before making a statement,” Siddiqui told the Hindustan Times. “The minister needs to apologise to the nation, which has great faith in the judiciary.”
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