SC to treat Ayodhya case as land dispute

NOT A RELIGIOUS ISSUE Court clarifies matter won’t be heard on ‘daytoday basis’

NEW DELHI: Even as lawyers for the opposing sides sought to establish the importance and significance of the Ram JanmabhoomiBabri Masjid case, and 32 prominent individuals sought to intervene, Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra said the matter before the bench was essentially a “title suit” and would be dealt with as such, indicating that the court is unlikely to be swayed by arguments of faith.

“We are treating this case as a land dispute. There are appeals and cross-appeals before us and we are going to deal with it,” Misra said.

The controversial case, with tremendous political, religious, and social significance, will therefore now be treated as a dispute over 2.7 acres of land in Ayodhya when the court next hears the case on March 14. The Supreme Court is hearing a challenge to the September 2010 Allahabad high court order directing a three-way division of the disputed land: one-third for the

Sunni Waqf Board, one-third for the Nirmohi Akhara, a religious body whose members are followers of Hindu God Ram, and onethird to the representative for ‘Ram Lalla’ (the God as an infant). The apex court has already stayed this 2010 ruling.

The building of a Ram temple

at Ayodhya is one of the objectives of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is in power in both the Centre and the state of Uttar Pradesh where Ayodhya is located, although the party’s position, as explained by its president Amit Shah is that it will do so through discussions, mutual

settlement (with the other parties in the case), or a favourable verdict by the Supreme Court.

The case was adjourned after the advocate for the Sunni Wakf board informed the court that some documents and translations have not yet been filed.