Polity Notes

SHRI RAM JANMABHOOMI AYODHYA CASE

It is the belief of crores of Hindus that Lord Ram was born at Ayodhya. At his birth place, there was a huge temple which was destroyed by Babar and a mosque (Babri Masjid) was built there in 1528.

Hindus had been fighting for centuries to rebuild Ram Lalla temple at that holy place.

The Babri Masjid was demolished by Hindu activists during a political rally which turned into a riot on 6th December 1992.

Librahan Commission was formed by the govt to inquire into the incident.

After the demolition of Babri Masjid, a subsequent land title case was lodged in Allahabad High Court. Allahabad High Court on 30th September 2010 pronounced its verdict by 2:1 majority. The High Court bench was consisting of Justice Dharam Veer Sharma, Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Justice SU Khan. Allahabad High Court ruled that 2.77 acres of disputed Ayodhya land be divided into three parts: 1/3 to Ram Lalla, 1/3 to Sunni Waqf Board and 1/3 to Nirmohi Akhara. Justice Dharam Veer Sharma & Justice Sudhir Aggarwal gave the concurring judgement and the dissenting judgement was given by justice S.U. Khan.

The decision of Allahabad High Court was challenged in Supreme Court. The final judgement in Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Ayodhya dispute case (M. Siddique (dead) through legal representatives versus Mahant Suresh Das and others) was delivered by the Supreme Court on 9th November 2019. Supreme Court ruled that disputed 2.77 acres of land to be handed over to a trust to be established by Government of India within three months to build the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple. The court also ordered government to give an alternate 5 acres of land in another place to Sunni Waqf Board for the purpose of building a mosque at a suitable place within Ayodhya. Supreme Court also ruled that sufficient representation to be given to Nirmohi Akhara in the trust to be established by Government of India. The five judge Bench of Supreme Court was headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi. The other judges were Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde, Justice S. Abdul Nazeer and Justice Ashok Bhushan. The verdict delivered by Supreme Court was unanimous.

Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, All India Muslim Personal Law board etc. filed review petitions in Supreme Court against this verdict. The review petitions have been rejected by Supreme Court.

Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirtha Kshetra Trust was established for the construction and management of Shri Ram Lalla Temple in Ayodhya by Government of India on 5th February 2020 as per the verdict of Supreme Court. It has 15 members. Mahant Nritya Gopaldas is the Chairperson & Sri Champat Rai is the general secretary. This trust is located at the Ram Janamabhoomi, Ayodhya. The headquarter of this trust is at New Delhi. Sri Nripindra Mishra is the chairman of construction committee The trust also has nominated members of government of India as well as nominated members of government of Uttar Pradesh. District Collector of Faizabad is also a member of this trust. The foundation stone of the Ram Lalla Temple has been laid on 5th Aug 2020 by PM Shri Narendra Modi. The Ram Lalla Temple construction has already been started by the trust and is expected to be completed by 2024 at a cost of Rs. 1100 crores (App). The temple is being designed to last at least 1000 years.