JOIN USApex Court decries demolition of Babri Masjid
The Supreme Court on Saturday decried the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992, saying it was unlawful destruction of a place of worship.
In its judgement on Ram Janmabhoomi and Babri Masjid dispute, the top court allocated the disputed 2.77 acres of land to a government-run trust and 5 acres of land to Sunni Waqf Board to build mosque in Ayodhya.
"It is necessary to provide restitution to the Muslim community," the court said.
"The allotment of land to the Muslims is necessary... The Muslims were dispossessed upon the desecration of the mosque on December 22-23, 1949, which was ultimately destroyed on December 6, 1992", the order said.
“Justice would not prevail if the court were to overlook the entitlement of the Muslims who have been deprived of the structure of the mosque through means which should not have been employed in a secular nation committed to the rule of law. The Constitution postulates the equality of all faiths. Tolerance and mutual co-existence nourish the secular commitment of our nation and its people,” the court said.
The case related to demolition of Babri Masjid is pending in a special court in Lucknow, involving several top BJP leaders including L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Kalyan Singh and Uma Bharti as accused.