Ayodhya verdict on Sept 30; SC refuses to defer date

The Supreme Court on Tuesday paved the way for the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court to pronounce its verdict on the 60-year-old Ayodhya title suit on September 30.

As the apex court dismissed a petition seeking deferment of the judgement, the road was cleared for the Lucknow bench to pronounce its verdict on Thursday (September 30) afternoon.

The deferment plea was rejected by a three-judge special bench of the apex court, comprising Chief Justice SH Kapadia and Justices Aftab Alam and KS Radhakrishnan.

?Having considered in detail the arguments of the parties, we are of the view that the SLP has to be dismissed. Accordingly, the SLP stands dismissed,? the Supreme Court bench said in a brief order.

The hearing on the crucial plea, which sought postponement of the title suit judgement to try another attempt at out-of-court settlement and “ensure” peace ahead of Commonwealth Games, was taken up earlier in the day.

The deferment plea was filed by a former bureaucrat Ramesh Chandra Tripathi, who had approached the apex court after the Allahabad High Court dismissed a similar petition.

However, the opposing parties in the original suit ? Sunni Waqf Board and Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha ? were against any further delay in the judgement and had submitted it before the Supreme Court.

Expressing satisfaction at the apex court?s stand, Sunni Waqf Board counsel said, “We are all very happy today. Any party affected by the High Court judgement can come to Supreme Court.?

Politician Ravi Shankar Prasad, in capacity of a lawyer representing Hindu groups, said, ?We should have faith in the people of India’s maturity who have their faith in judiciary. Now the decks are cleared for a High Court judgement on a 60-year-old case. We hope the verdict will now come soon.?

The Supreme Court?s decision was also welcomed by India?s ruling Congress party as well as principle Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Expressing satisfaction at the apex court?s decision, Congress general secretary Janardha Dwivedi said, ?The time has now come for the judicial pronouncement.?

He said the Congress was happy with the Supreme Court?s go-ahead to the verdict and said everyone should respect the decision of the apex court.

BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said the party welcomed the Supreme Court?s stand and said the BJP will look ahead for the verdict on the title suit.

?We ask the people of the country to maintain peace and calm. We are not anticipating anything, would like to wait for the Allahabad (High Court) verdict,? he said.

Javadekar added that the Supreme Court?s decision not to defer the judgement has lifted the unceratinity surrounding the issue.

All eyes are now set on the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court to finally pronounce its verdict, especially since one of the judges in the three-member bench, Justice DV Sharma, is to demit office on October one.

The other two judges are Justices S U Khan and Sudhir Agarwal.

The verdict on the 60- year-old Ayodhya title suits to determine who owns the disputed land is being awaited with eagerness by both the Muslims and Hindus and with consternation by the governments tasked to prevent riots over the issue.

Over 2,000 people were killed in the riots that followed the demolition of the Babri Masjid by Hindu kar sevaks on December 6, 1992, who claimed the Masjid was built after demolishing a Ram temple in 1528.