SC adds petition challenging Centre's 1993 acquisition of Ayodhya land to main Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday tagged to the Ayodhya case a plea challenging the constitutional validity of the 1993 law for acquisition of land, including the disputed site in Ayodhya.

A bench of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna said the petition will be heard on the next date along with the main case.

The petition was filed by seven residents of Lucknow, including two advocates, Shishir Chaturvedi, and Sanjay Mishra, who said they were devotees of Lord Ram.

The petition challenged the Constitutional validity of The Acquisition of Certain Area At Ayodhya Act, 1993 on the ground that Parliament has no legislative competence to take over/acquire the property belonging to the State.

State Legislature has exclusive power to make provision relating to the management of the affairs of religious institutions working in the State, the petition added.

The petition said that the 1993 Act infringes upon the right to religion of Hindus guaranteed and protected under Article 25 (freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion) of the Constitution.

The petition has also sought direction “to restrain the Central government and the Uttar Pradesh government from interfering in Puja, Darshan and performance of rituals at the places of worship situated within the land admeasuring 67.703 acres acquired by the Act particularly at the land belonging to Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, Manas Bhavan, Sankat Mochan Mandir, Ram Janmasthan Temple, Janki Mahal and Katha Mandap.”

Centre had also filed a petition seeking modification of its 2003 order to allow it to return the “excess/superfluous land” out of the 67.703 acres acquired in Ayodhya to its original owners including the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas.