Saints react over deferment of Ayodhya case in SC

The saint community in Ayodhya reacted sharply on the deferment of Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid Title Suits in the Supreme Court and accused Congress and the Sunni Central Waqf Board of trying to create hurdles in the way of construction of the Ram Temple.

The Muslim parties to the dispute, however, said that they had ''full faith'' in the judiciary and would wait for its verdict in the matter.

Ram Janambhoomi Trust president and senior Hindu cleric Mahant Nritya Gopal Das said that the Hindus wanted an early resolution of the dispute and that the apex court should expedite the hearing of the matter.

''Hindus are deeply hurt by the delay in the judicial process...Ram Temple is a matter of faith for us,'' the Mahant said in Ayodhya on Thursday.

Former BJP MP Ram Vilas Vedanti said that the saint community would decide about its next course of action in the 'Dharm Sansad' (religious parliament) at the 'Kumbh' later this month.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) spokesman Sharad Sharma blamed the Congress and the Sunni Board for the delay. ''Congress and Sunni Waqf Board do not want the matter to be decided early and therefore they are creating hurdles in the way of Ram Temple,'' Sharma said in Ayodhya.

Iqbal Ansari, one of the main Muslim plaintiffs in the dispute, however, said that there should be ''no pressure'' on the Supreme Court. ''We have full faith in the apex court and will abide by its decision,'' Ansari said.