New Delhi | The Supreme Court today reserved its decision on court appointed and monitored mediation for “permanent solution” in the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Maasjid title dispute.
Reserving its decision the Apex court bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi asked all parties to give names for the panel of mediators to the court today itself so that the top court can pass order shortly.
The bench was hearing whether the Court can refer the title dispute for a mediation to which the Lawyers representing the Hindu’s opposed said its not ready for any mediation. Lawyers stated,” It’s a deity property and nobody has the right to mediate . For us it’s a sentimental issue.” The lawyers further added that the Court should not refer the matter to mediation as the Hindu community is waiting for outcome of result since 1950.
Lawyer C S Vaidyanathan appearing Ram Lalla opposing the idea of mediation said that the faith that the site was the birthplace of Lord Ram was non-negotiable.”We are ready to crowd fund the construction of mosque elsewhere”, he added.
A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said the case was not only about property but also about sentiment and faith. “It is not only about property. It is about mind, heart and healing, if possible,” the bench also comprising Justices S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S A Nazeer said.
“We are not concerned about what Mughal ruler Babur had done and what happened after. We can go into what exists in the present moment,” the bench said. The apex court is considering whether the dispute can be settled through mediation. The Court also expressed that media reporting will be banned on ongoing mediation process
The top court had asked the contesting parties to explore the possibility of amicably settling the decades-old dispute through mediation, saying it may help in “healing relations”.
Fourteen appeals have been filed in the apex court against the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgment, delivered in four civil suits, that the 2.77-acre land in Ayodhya be partitioned equally among the three parties — the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.
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