Can’t Undo What Babur Did,” Says Supreme Court In Ayodhya Hearing

The Supreme Court begins its crucial hearing on Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute in Ayodhya to decide whether the politically sensitive case can be adjudicated by giving mediation another shot.The Supreme Court on February 26 had said it would pass an order today on whether to refer the matter to a court-appointed mediator.

The Hindu petitioners have argued that several mediation attempts made in the past have failed. The Muslim petitioners, though, have said they are willing to give it a try in public interest. The case has been in and out of courts for nearly 70 years. A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi asked the contesting parties to explore the possibility of amicably settling the decades old dispute through mediation, saying it may help in “healing relations”.

Mediation will further push back any possibility of an early beginning of the construction of the Ram temple, which the right-wing groups have been eager about in view of the coming national elections. There have also been calls to bypass the judicial process through an ordinance of executive order by the government.