Supreme Court: On the 8th Day of the Ayodhya Title dispute hearing, Ram Lalla’s counsel, Senior Advocate CS Vaidyanathan, told the 5-judge bench of Ranjan Gogoi, CJ and SA Bobde, Dr. DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and SA Nazeer, JJ that the disputed structure (mosque) was put in place either on the ruins of the temple or by pulling it down.
“Pillar bases found by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) have established the existence of a huge structure at the site of Babri Masjid. Other evidence revealed that it was a Hindu religious structure,”
The counsel relied on a document by the agency, which stated that a stone slab from the 12th century was recovered which had verses that spoke of King Govind Chandra, the king of a kingdom whose capital was Ayodhya.
“The verses found on the stone made it clear that there was a big Vishnu temple at that place and the ASI in the excavation had found the remains of that temple,”
The disputed site is considered to be Lord Ram’s Janmabhoomi (birthplace) and it has been the faith and belief of Hindus that make them visit the Ram janmabhoomi for darshan, the counsel added. He also read out the verbatim of the Muslim witnesses collated by him.
“The Muslim witness stated that if the mosque was built after the demolition of a temple, they will not consider it a mosque. He said that the mosque cannot be built on a forcibly occupied place,”
Vaidyanathan said that the Muslim side, including Sunni Wakf Board and others, had earlier said that there was no such pre-existing structure, but later changed their stand and said that the Islamic structure existed beneath Babri Masjid.
A five-judge constitution bench is conducting a day-to-day hearing in the Ayodhya title dispute case, after it had on August 2 observed that since the mediation panel on Ayodhya matter has failed to achieve any final settlement in the matter, it will hold a day-to-day hearing in the case from August 6.
Fourteen appeals are pending before the apex court against the 2010 Allahabad High Court verdict which ordered equal division of the 2.77-acre disputed land in Ayodhya among the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.
The 16th-century Babri Masjid was demolished on December 6, 1992.
(Source: ANI)
More from the day-to-day hearing in Ayodhya Title Dispute:
No Muslim has entered the disputed land since 1934: Nirmohi Akhara
SC seeks evidence of possession of Ramjanmabhumi from Nirmohi Akhara
Both Hindus & Muslims have always called the disputed site a ‘Janmasthana’: Ram Lalla’s counsel
SC rejects Sr Adv Rajeev Dhavan’s plea against 5-days a week hearing
Arguments advanced on whether there was an existing temple at the disputed site
Excavations show that a massive Lord Ram temple existed at the disputed site: Ram Lalla’s counsel
Also read:
Should Ayodhya dispute be decided by mediation? SC to decide on March 6 [Full Report]