The last day of hearings in the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case in the Supreme Court was a dramatic one. High drama ensued as Rajiv Dhavan, the senior advocate representing the Muslim parties, tore up a pictoral map in court.
The news soon became viral, taking centre stage on the last day of hearings.
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Dhavan reportedly asked the court “Can I have your permission to tear it” before shredding the pictorial map that showed Ram’s birthplace.
A PTI report said that Dhavan objected when Vikas Singh, representing the All India Hindu Mahasabha attempted to refer a book on Ayodhya written by former IPS officer Kishore Kunal, saying such attempts should be disallowed.
Reports said that while answering Dhavan’s question, the Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said he could shred it into pieces if he wanted.
While there was much outrage over the issue, The Indian Express reported CJI Gogoi clarifying that he indeed had allowed Dhavan to tear the pages.
However, NDTV reported that while there was commotion after the pages were torn, the court said, “Decorum has been spoiled, decorum is not maintained. If proceedings continue in this manner, we would just get up and walk out.”
Meanwhile, a Hindu party told that court that Sunni Waqf Board and other Muslim litigants had failed to proved that Mughal emperor Babur constructed the Babri Masjid at the disputed site.
The hearings in the dispute have been going on for the past 39 days. Advancing its earlier deadline of October 17 by a day, the court said, “This matter is going to be finished today by 5 PM. Enough is enough.”
PTI reported that the bench also rejected a plea of a party that sought to intervene in the ongoing hearings.
(With PTI inputs)