All eyes on Supreme Court as arguments in Ayodhya case wrap up today
Ayodhya has turned fortress with heightened security ahead of the final day hearing. Section 144 was imposed in the area in anticipation of the Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid dispute verdict.
The 70-year-old Ayodhya title dispute case is likely to end on Wednesday. The fate of the case will be unveiled today evening when Hindu and Muslim parties wrap up their final submissions before the five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi. The other four in the panel are SA Bobde, Ashok Bhushan, DY Chandrachud and SA Nazeer. The Chief Justice has allocated an initial 45 minutes to Hindu parties, followed by one hour to Muslim side and then four slots of 45 minutes each to assorted parties involved in the matter. The apex court has also hinted at taking up the moulding of relief, in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute after the hearing today, the lawyers in the case said.
"It is unlikely that the court would be able to complete moulding of relief tomorrow (Wednesday). The court would probably allocate sufficient time for it on Thursday and then finally reserve the judgement," said a lawyer involved in the case.
The Chief Justice has asked the lawyers from both sides to judiciously distribute the four 45 minute slots amongst themselves.
Meanwhile, Ayodhya has turned fortress with heightened security ahead of the final day hearing. Section 144 was imposed in the area in anticipation of the Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid dispute verdict.
The Hindu parties:
According to the Hindu parties involved in the Ayodhya case, the ASI report, which concludes presence of a Hindu temple below the mosque, corroborated by travelogues and Gazetteers of Western visitors identifying the Hindu belief and faith on the birthplace or Lord Ram, weighs high on evidentiary value establishing their arguments.
The Muslim parties:
The Muslim parties have been contesting that the ASI report is inconclusive and riddled with inconsistencies; and travelogues are mere stories, which cannot be taken as a crucial piece of evidence. The Muslim side has also strongly contested Hindus' side arguments terming the birthplace of Lord Ram under the central dome as a legal entity.
What is the Ayodhya land dispute case?
The Ayodhya dispute is a historical and socio-religious debate in India, centred on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. The issues revolve around access to a site traditionally regarded among Hindus to be the birthplace of the Lord Ram. The dispute is about the history and location of the Babri Masjid at the site and whether a previous Hindu temple was demolished or modified to create the mosque.
Here's how Ayodhya Ram Mandir may look like once built:
While there is still no clarity over the matter, craftsmen at a workshop in Ayodhya are busy giving shape to huge rocks which will be used in the Ram Temple.
The sprawling workshop also houses a wooden model of a 'proposed Ram Temple' in a glass encasement. Many devotees stream in from various parts of India; some out of curiosity, other led by local tour guides.
Annu Bhai Sompura, in-charge of the workshop, points out to rows and rows of huge, ornately carved stones stacked up on the ground in the open in its premises, which he said are "ready-to-move blocks that can be easily assembled".
A recap into the Ayodhya case
The Babri Masjid was destroyed during a political rally which turned into a riot on December 6, 1992. A subsequent land title case was lodged in the Allahabad High Court, the verdict of which was pronounced on September 30, 2010.
During the hearing, the three judges of the Allahabad High Court ruled that the 2.77 acres (1.12 ha) of Ayodhya land be divided into three parts, with 1⁄3 going to the Ram Lalla or Infant Rama represented by the Hindu Maha Sabha, 1⁄3 going to the Sunni Waqf Board and the remaining 1⁄3 going to Nirmohi Akhara.
While the three-judge bench was not unanimous that the disputed structure was constructed after demolition of a temple, it did agree that a temple or a temple structure predated the mosque at the same site.
Also Read | Ayodhya Title Dispute: Meet 5-judge bench hearing final submissions today
Also Read | Hindu parties cite 1886 judge's observation of Ayodhya site