In a massive development, the Supreme Court has stated that the mediation panel which was formed to arrive at a final settlement between the Hindu and Muslim parties in the Ayodhya Ram Mandir case, has failed. As a result, the apex court will commence daily hearings in the case from August 6. The Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi, said that the appeals of Nirmohi Akhara and deity Ram Lalla would be heard first by the Court.
Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, who is representing the Muslim parties in this case, objected to the decision of hearing Nirmohi Akhara and deity Ram Lalla first. He argued that some of the Muslim parties had filed first. However, the Court stuck to its decision of hearing the parties which are in favour of the Ram Mandir in the disputed Ayodhya site first.
It must be noted that serious doubts were entertained as to the efficacy of the mediation panel constituted to resolve the Ayodhya title dispute. On July 18, the Supreme Court bench had asked the mediation panel headed by former Supreme Court judge, F.M.I. Kalifulla, to submit a report regarding progress in the mediation proceedings between the Hindu and Muslim parties to reach an amicable solution in this case which has been lingering on for the past seven decades. The mediation panel consisting of Justice Kalifulla, spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravishankar and senior advocate Sriram Panchu, had started consultations in the month of March in order to reach an amicable solution.
It is also important to mention here that the efficacy of the mediation panel came under further doubt after an application was filed by Gopal Singh Visharad, an original claimant in the title dispute, who had filed the title suit way back in 1950 through his survivor Rajendra Singh. The application claimed that the Justice Kalifulla mediation committee was not making any progress. The application prayed that the apex court stops mediation and commences hearing in the Ayodhya title dispute.
The RSS and the VHP have reportedly welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to end the mediation effort and commence daily hearing in the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi case. General Secretary of the RSS, Suresh Bhayyaji Joshi took to Twitter and said, “We welcome the decision of the Supreme Court to hear the daily hearing from 6th August. And express the conviction that the controversial dispute will be resolved in a fixed period of time and the legal barriers to construction of the temple will be removed and the work of constructing a grand temple will start soon.”
6 अगस्त से रोजाना सुनवाई करने के सर्वोच्च न्यायालय के निर्णय का हम स्वागत करते हैं।और विश्वास व्यक्त करते हैं कि निश्चित समयावधि में बहुलम्बित विवाद हल होगा और मन्दिर निर्माण की कानूनी बाधाएं दूर होकर भव्य मंदिर निर्माण का कार्य शीघ्र प्रारंभ होगा।- सुरेश(भय्याजी) जोशी,सरकार्यवाह pic.twitter.com/WzSULPxd00
— RSS (@RSSorg) August 2, 2019
As the Supreme Court declared the failure of the mediation panel and that it shall now start daily hearings in the Ram Mandir case, Alok Kumar, Working President of the VHP, also welcomed this development. As per Republic, he said, “We hope there will be a decision soon over the 5000 years of struggles and 70 years of court cases and the cases which influenced the Indian society, and issues that became a wedge between the two communities. I hope the hearing ends soon, we hope the CJI will not allow any delay tactics to succeed. I hope we will be able to create a grand temple. I welcome the decision of the SC today.”
It must be noted that Ram Mandir dispute in Ayodhya has been lingering on for the past 70 years and this development now comes as a big ray of hope for crores of devotees who are eagerly waiting for a final verdict in this case. It is also important to note that a verdict in this case has to come before November 17, when the sitting Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi retires.