scorecardresearch
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Support Our Journalism
HomePoliticsModi govt moves Supreme Court to get VHP trust its Ayodhya plot...

Modi govt moves Supreme Court to get VHP trust its Ayodhya plot back

Follow Us :
Text Size:

Centre had acquired around 67 acres surrounding the disputed Ayodhya site in 1993 as a preventive tactic after 1992 riots over the demolition of Babri masjid.

New Delhi: The Centre approached the Supreme Court Tuesday to “restore” the non-disputed “excess” land around the Ram Janmabhoomi site to their original owners.

The dispute revolves around a plot less than three acres in size, but the central government took over around 67 acres surrounding that area through the Acquisition of Certain Areas at Ayodhya Act, 1993, as a preventive tactic after the December 1992 riots over the demolition of the Babri masjid.

A part of this land had earlier been handed over by the then Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of Uttar Pradesh to the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, a trust founded by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) to oversee temple construction.

In 2003, the Supreme Court had upheld status quo on the land, asking the government to retain ownership till the civil suits regarding the disputed plot were settled.

The Centre’s plea, just months before the Lok Sabha elections, is considered significant as it comes amid resentment in Sangh Parivar constituents like the VHP over the Narendra Modi government’s failure to construct the Ram temple despite assuming office with a majority.

There have been calls for the Centre to push through an ordinance to build the temple, with allies like the Shiv Sena, too, mincing few words in their criticism.


Also read: CJI Ranjan Gogoi reconstitutes 5-judge bench for Ayodhya bench


‘No objection’

According to the Centre’s latest petition, the Narendra Modi government did not have any objection “in principle” to a plea filed by the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas to reclaim 42 acres of the land.

The Centre added that it would not have any objection if the remaining land was returned to the other rightful owners after “determining the extent of land required for proper access to the disputed site”.

It said the parties to the row were only interested in the disputed plot on which the Babri masjid stood and where the Hindus believe Lord Ram was born.

The remaining land was not even in contention, the Centre added, saying it was only acquired to ensure the party that won the proceedings had proper access to the disputed site.

The Centre said it would make sure that access to the disputed site was not hindered even if the surrounding land was handed over to the original owners.

“…Factual determination as to the extent of the adjacent area considered necessary, is under the domain of policy and is not a matter of judicial scrutiny or a ground for testing the constitutional validity of the enactment,” it added.


Also read: What about Babri Masjid? How land became more important than the mosque in Ayodhya


What the status quo means

In 2002, Mohammed Aslam, alias Bhure, had filed a complaint in the Supreme Court against an attempt by kar sevaks to perform puja on the land surrounding the disputed site, which had been approved by the central government.

In response, the Supreme Court had barred the performance of any religious ritual on the land, and ruled that the plot should be retained by the central government, thus upholding status quo. It had added that, to maintain communal harmony, the order would remain in place till the related civil cases was disposed of.

The title dispute

The Supreme Court is adjudicating on a batch of appeals in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi title suit arising out of a 2010 Allahabad High Court judgment. A five-judge Constitution bench will hear the appeals concerning the exact ownership of the disputed site.

The legal issues surrounding one of the most communal cases in recent times takes on added significance with the 2019 Lok Sabha elections barely months away.

At the heart of it, the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi case is a property dispute. It involves the disputed land where the Babri Masjid, a 16th-century mosque once stood, before it was razed by kar sevaks on 6 December, 1992.

In 2010, the Allahabad High Court divided the disputed land into three equal parts between the petitioners — the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and the deity, Ram Lalla.

The Supreme Court has stayed the Allahabad High Court judgment.

Subscribe to our channels on YouTube, Telegram & WhatsApp

Support Our Journalism

India needs fair, non-hyphenated and questioning journalism, packed with on-ground reporting. ThePrint – with exceptional reporters, columnists and editors – is doing just that.

Sustaining this needs support from wonderful readers like you.

Whether you live in India or overseas, you can take a paid subscription by clicking here.

Support Our Journalism

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Most Popular