Cong, BJP & AAP welcome ruling, appeal for peace and harmony

This verdict is not a victory or defeat of any community and you should maintain peace and harmony after the verdict — Manoj Tiwari, Delhi BJP president

For once, the AAP and the Delhi units of the BJP and the Congress were on the same page in welcoming the Supreme Court verdict on the Ayodhya dispute. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said the judgement has ended the decades old dispute and appealed to people to maintain peace and harmony.

A meeting held at the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee office, under the leadership of DPCC president Subhash Chopra, passed a unanimous resolution honouring the verdict and asked the party workers to maintain restraint. Elated over the court order, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari took to harmonium to sing some verses for Lord Ram.

“We welcome the SC judgement. The dispute of many years ended today. I appeal all to maintain peace and harmony,” Mr Kejriwal tweeted. Mr Tiwari welcomed the judgment as “unprecedented and historic” and added it was not a victory or defeat of anyone. Mr Tiwari appealed to the people of Delhi to maintain peace and harmony.

“This verdict is not a victory or defeat of any community and you should maintain peace and harmony after the verdict,” Mr Tiwari said.

Ex-cricketer and BJP’s East Delhi MP Gautam Gambhir hailed the

Supreme Court’s verdict and said the verdict was balanced.

“It’s a historic judgement, this was a long pending issue. Further, I’d like to say that everyone should honour the court’s decision. We must look forward to developing the nation and all communities and religions must work towards nation-building,” said Mr Gambhir.

The AAP has urged all communities to respect the verdict and ensure that the social fabric of India, a country of “Ganga-Jamuna tehzeeb”, is intact.