Ayodhya Case Hearing: 'Figures of Crocodile, Alien to Muslim Culture, Found', Ram Lalla Lawyer Tells Supreme Court to Prove Temple Was Destroyed For Mosque
Senior advocate C S Vaidyanathan, appearing for Ram Lalla Virajman in the politically-sensitive Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case, told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that a Hindu temple was destroyed to construct a mosque at the disputed site in Ayodhya.
New Delhi, August 20: Senior advocate C S Vaidyanathan, appearing for Ram Lalla Virajman in the politically-sensitive Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case, told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that a Hindu temple was destroyed to construct a mosque at the disputed site in Ayodhya. Citing an ASI report, advocate Vaidyanathan said that figures of crocodiles and tortoise, which were alien to the Muslim culture, were found at the disputed site.
During the eighth day hearing in the case before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Vaidyanathan informed the apex court that the Archaeological Survey of India or ASI found pillar bases that establish the existence of a huge structure before the mosque was constructed. He also said that the Sunni Wakf Board and other Muslim litigants changed their stand saying that what existed before Babri Masjid was an Islamic structure, after initially stating that there was no such pre-existing structure. Will Offer Golden Brick if Ram Mandir is Built in Ayodhya: Prince Yakub.
He also cited the recovery of a 12th century stone slab from the site of the disputed mosque in 1992 with inscriptions in Sanskrit establishing the existence of a temple at that place. He told the top court that the authenticity of the epigraphic evidence inscribed on the slab had not been questioned so far. The slab was stuck between the walls of the mosque and it fell down during the destruction of the mosque. Hindus Believe Ayodhya is Ram's Birthplace; Court Shouldn't Go Beyond to See Rationality, SC Told.
The dimension of the slab is 4 feet by 2 feet and it is diagonally broken into two pieces. Although broken, it did not hamper the deciphering of the inscriptions on the slab in Sanskrit which categorically established the existence of a temple and its essence linked to Lord Vishnu and his incarnation Lord Ram, argued Vaidyanathan.
He argued that the ASI report established a huge hall, mainly used for worship by people having faith in the Hindu religion, with several pillars, and there was no doubt on the credibility of this report. The hearing was underway before the bench also comprising justices S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S A Nazeer. (With agency inputs)
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 20, 2019 03:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).