Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday said the Supreme Court should soon take up the long-pending Ayodhya case as people were waiting for a Ram temple to be built on the site where the Babri Masjid once stood, IANS reported.
“The Ayodhya case has been pending for the last 70 years,” Prasad told reporters in Patna. “The Allahabad High Court order was in favour of the temple [in 2010], but then it is on hold in the Supreme Court now. This matter should be cleared soon.”
The Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case, which was scheduled to be heard in the Supreme Court on January 29, on Sunday was deferred due to the non-availability of Justice SA Bobde on the five-member Constitution Bench. A new date for the hearing has not yet been announced.
Last week, the Supreme Court had reconstituted a bench that was supposed to hear the case on January 29. An earlier hearing on January 10 was adjourned after Justice UU Lalit recused himself from the matter.
Prasad said many complained that several issues, including those related to adultery and Sabarimala temple in Kerala, are heard expeditiously. “But the people feel that the Ram temple matter should also be heard soon without any further delay,” said the Bharatiya Janata Party leader. “We all respect the Supreme Court, we have our faith in the judiciary.”
Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah have said that the matter will be resolved legally, added
The law minister’s comments come a few days after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath claimed that his government will resolve the land dispute case in a day if the Supreme Court is unable to deliver a judgement soon.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh minister Shrikant Sharma also said people who trust the judicial system are hurt with the delay in the hearing. The verdict should come soon so that those vitiating the atmosphere and playing politics on the matter are exposed, Sharma claimed.
“For hearing of terrorist the court opens in the night and hearing of Maoists is also done on priority,” the Uttar Pradesh energy minister said, according to PTI. “Deferring this [Ram temple] matter, which is associated with faith and sentiments is wrong. Honourable court should take cognisance of the people’s sentiments and immediately start hearing.”
The Supreme Court had in October rejected the Uttar Pradesh government’s appeal for an early hearing in the case. As many as 14 separate petitions have been filed against the 2010 Allahabad High Court verdict ordering a three-way division of the land on which the Babri Masjid stood. The land was divided equally between the Nirmohi Akhara, the Sunni Wakf Board and the representative for the deity Ram Lalla in the 2010 judgement.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!