SC to consider early hearing in Ayodhya land dispute

The Supreme Court on Friday said it would consider listing for early hearing a batch of petitions challenging the Allahabad High Court verdict in the Ram Temple-Babri Masjid land dispute case.

“We are going to list the main matter soon. We will take a decision on it,” a bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud said, even as BJP leader Subramanian Swamy mentioned the matter for an urgent listing and hearing.

Swamy said the main appeals against the Allahabad High Court order are pending for the past seven years in the apex court and they required an urgent hearing.

Separate petition
He said he had earlier filed a separate petition seeking enforcement of his right to worship without much hassle at the site. He submitted that he has been allowed by the apex court to intervene in the matter and is seeking expeditious disposal of the cases.

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court had in 2010 ruled a three-way division of 2.77 acres at the disputed site in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. The three-judge bench, by a 2:1 majority, had said the land be partitioned equally among three parties — Sunni Waqf Board, Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.

In March, days after suggesting Swamy find an amicable resolution to the land dispute through negotiated settlement, saying it was as a matter of “sentiments and religion”, the bench had declined to fix a date for the hearing.

However, on Friday, Swamy put forth a previous order by the apex court, allowing him to intervene in the civil appeal.