HOW AYODHYA DISPUTE PANNED OUT OVER THE YEARS
A timeline of the controversy that whipped up passions and triggered heated socio-political debates for decades
1528: Babri Masjid built
1959: Nirmohi Akhara files suit, seeking possession of the site 1981: UP Sunni Central Waqf Board files suit for possession of the site DEC 6, 1992 : Babri Masjid structure demolished
MAY 9, 2011 : SC stays HC verdict on Ayodhya land dispute
SEP 30, 2010: In a 2:1 majority, HC rules the division of disputed area among Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla
2002: Allahabad HC begins hearing on determining who owns the disputed site
OCT 24, 1994: In the historic Ismail Faruqui case, SC says that a mosque is not integral to practicing Islam
FEB 26, 2016: Subramanian Swamy files plea in SC seeking construction of Ram Temple at the disputed site
MAR 21, 2017: Then CJI JS Khehar suggests out-of-court settlement among the litigants
JULY 20, 2018:
SC reserves verdict
APRIL 6, 2018: Rajeev Dhavan files plea in SC to refer the issue of reconsideration of the observations in its 1994 judgment to a larger bench
MAR 14, 2018: SC rejects all interim pleas, including Swamy’s, seeking to intervene as parties in the case
FEB 8, 2018: SC starts hearing the civil appeals
AUG 7, 2017: SC constitutes a three-judge bench to hear pleas challenging the 1994 verdict
SEP 27, 2018: SC declines to refer the case to a 5-judge Constitution bench, says civil suit will be heard by a 3-judge bench from Oct 29 but it later referred the matter to a special bench
JAN 25, 2019: Special Constitution bench is formed to hear the case
MARCH 8, 2019: SC refers the matter for mediation to a panel headed by retired SC judge FMI Kalifulla
AUG 2, 2019: The mediation proceedings did not result in any final settlement, the mediation panel said
FEB 5, 2020: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announces the decision to set up a temple trust to build the Ram temple at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh in line with the Supreme Court verdict
NOV 9, 2019: SC rules in favour of Ram Lalla, the child deity, and orders that a separate plot of five acres be allotted to the Muslim parties for the construction of a mosque
OCT 16, 2019: SC reserves judgment, closes arguments
AUG 6, 2019: Five-judge Constitution bench begins hearing the title dispute