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Ayodhya Hearing: Not Concerned With What Babur Did, But With Present Moment, Says SC

The apex court is considering whether the dispute can be settled through mediation.
Hindustan Times via Getty Images

NEW DELHI — The Supreme Court Wednesday said it was conscious of the gravity of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute and the outcome of mediation on the body politics of the country.

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi reserved its order on whether the dispute could be settled through mediation.

“It is not only about property. It is about mind, heart and healing, if possible,” the bench also comprising Justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and SA Nazeer said.

The bench heard submissions from various Hindu and Muslim bodies involved in the matter.

The bench said it was conscious of the gravity of the dispute and the outcome of mediation on body politics.

“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 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”.

Hindu bodies and the Uttar Pradesh government said they were not in favour of mediation, while Muslim bodies supported the suggestion.

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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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.