P Chidambaram satisfied with Ayodhya verdict response

New Delhi : A day after the Allahabad High Court pronounced its Ayodhya title suit verdict, Union Home minister P Chidambaram on Friday expressed satisfaction as the ‘respectful and dignified’ response of the people to the judgement.

While a massive security blanket was thrown across the country apprehending back-lash after the judgement, no trouble has been reported yet.

“We are pleased and satisfied with the response of people which has been respectful and dignified,” Chidambaram said.

He added that the law and order situation has been extremely peaceful and there have been no incidents reported from anywhere.

“I thought the UP government is maintaining law and order with the assistance of the forces provided by the Central government. If the UP government thinks that the Centre should maintain law and order with the assistance of UP Police, so be it,” he said, refuting UP chief minister Mayawati’s charge that the Centre did not help adequately in security arrangements prior to the verdict.

On the Centre’s role after the verdict, the Union minister said, “There is no role for the Centre now. The judges have given a stay and ordered a status quo (on the situation as obtaining) before the verdict. The judgement is not operational as of now.”

“The judgement is indeed an important document. But it is not operational. It is a fair assumption that appeals may be lodged (in Supreme Court). It is a fair assumption that the Supreme Court will pass interim orders. Therefore, there is no need now to comment on the judgement which is not operational and status quo as decreed in a Supreme Court order in 1994 will be maintained,” he added.

He also urged the media not to “over interpret” the judgement and devote extraordinary time and space to it.

Chidambaram also dismissed apprehensions that the case relating to the demolition of Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992, was diluted by the judgement.

“That act was completely unacceptable and it was an act done by people who took law and order into their hands. That remains, in my view, a criminal act. Also, please don’t attribute to the judges (of the Lucknow Bench) any attempt to justify what was done in 1992,” he said.

Treading cautiously on the communal minefield, a three-member Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Thursday (September 30) passed a verdict upholding the Hindu claim that the disputed site is the birthplace of Lord Rama but ruled that the land would be divided into three parts with one third going to the Muslims along with one third for the Hindus.

Rejecting the Sunni Waqf Board and Nirmohi Akhara’s title suit, the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court on Thursday said Hindu deity Lord Ram was born indeed on the disputed Ayodhya site, bringing a temporary closure on the 60-year-old dispute since the judgement can now be challenged in the Supreme Court.