New Delhi, October 14: With the politically sensitive Ram Janmabhoomi land dispute case at Ayodhya entered the last leg of hearing in the Supreme Court, senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan -- representing lead petitioner M Siddiq and the All India Sunni Waqf Board -- alleged that questions are asked only from them and not posed to the Hindu side. The concerns were raised in front of a 5-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.
Making the controversial claim on the 38th day of the hearing, Dhavan stated, "Your Lordship didn’t ask a question to the other side. All the questions have been asked to us only. Of course, we are answering them." Following this, the submissions were vehemently opposed by senior advocate C S Vaidyanathan who said, "This is totally unwarranted." Vaidyanathan is representing deity ‘Ram Lalla’. Diwali 2019 in Ayodhya: VHP Leaders Seek Permission to Light Diyas and Offer Prayers at Ram Janmabhoomi Site on Deepotsav.
During the hearing, the bench comprising of -- CJI Ranjan Gogoi and justices S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S A Nazeer -- observed that the idea behind constructing iron railing was to separate the inner courtyard from the outer courtyard. The bench mentioned that idea to appreciate the fact that Hindus were offering prayers in the outer-courtyard where 'Ram Chabutra', 'Sita Rasoi', 'Bhandar Grih' were situated. Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid Case: Section 144 Imposed in Ayodhya Ahead of Supreme Court Hearing.
However, after taking Dhavan's concerns, the bench observed that the Hindus only had "prescriptive right" to enter and offer prayer at the site. They added that it does not mean that Hindu had ownership claim over the disputed property. Earlier, senior Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leaders met the commissioner of the Faizabad division Manoj Mishra and sought permission to celebrate the festival of light at the Ram Janmabhoomi site. It is to be known that Section 144 was imposed in the Ayodhya district till December 10.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 14, 2019 05:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).