Supreme Court says settle Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid issue amicably; calls Ayodhya a matter of sentiment

An amicable, out-of-court settlement in the ongoing dispute over the Ram Temple in was a better course of action than on insisting on a judicial pronouncement, said a bench of Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul as BJP leader Subramanian Swamy urged the apex court to constitute a bench to hear a batch of petitions challenging the 2010 Allahabad High Court order.

The 2010 order said that there should be a partition of the Ayodhya land between the parties to the dispute. The apex court said that since it is a sensitive and sentimental issue and it’s best that it is settled amicably. The court also asked Swamy to consult the parties and mention the matter on or before 31 March. Swamy had sought an urgent hearing of 1992 Babri Masjid demolition in Supreme Court.

Subramanian Swamy seeks urgent hearing of #AyodhyaDispute in SC. Court asks parties concerned to sit together to arrive at a consensus.

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 21, 2017

#SupremeCourt says #RamTemple is a sensitive and sentimental issue and it's best that it is settled amicably.

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 21, 2017

SC asks Subramanian Swamy to consult the parties and inform it about the decision on March 31 #AyodhyaDispute.

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 21, 2017

#CJI J S Khehar says if the parties to #AyodhyaDispute want him to mediate, then he is ready for the task.

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 21, 2017

The court added that all parties should choose mediators to make a fresh attempt to settle the issue and if required, a principal mediator can be chosen by the court for settling the issue.

Saying that negotiated settlement between the parties to the dispute was the best course, Chief Justice Khehar offered to act as a mediator provided that he would not hear the matter on the judicial side.

Pointing towards Justice Kaul, the Chief Justice also said that he, too, could mediate. Justice Khehar told Swamy: “Any person of your choice. You want me to mediate (but) I will not hear (on judicial side). You want my brother (Judge). There are issues. You all sit together across the table and decide.”

The newly elected chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath has been a strong votary of construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya. He drove BJP’s Hindutva campaign in eastern UP in the just concluded Assembly polls in the politically crucial state where it won three- fourths majority.

He had also said that the hurdles on the path of construction of a grand Ram temple will be gradually removed and its work will soon start in Ayodhya.

With inputs from agencies