The Supreme Court has rejected a petition seeking to prevent the construction of mosques named after Mughal emperor Babur.
Key Points
- The Supreme Court refused to entertain a plea seeking to restrain the construction of mosques named after Mughal emperor Babur or Babri Masjid.
- The petitioner's counsel withdrew the plea after the bench showed its disinclination.
- The petition was filed in response to a Trinamool Congress MLA's announcement to construct a replica of the Babri Masjid in West Bengal.
- The plea sought a ban on the construction of any mosque or religious structure named after Babur or Babri Masjid across India.
- The Supreme Court had previously delivered a landmark verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute in 2019, paving the way for the construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea seeking a direction to restrain the construction, establishment or naming of any mosque or religious structure in the name of Mughal emperor Babur or Babri Masjid.
After a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta showed its disinclination in entertaining the plea, the counsel appearing for the petitioner withdrew it.
"Dismissed as withdrawn," the bench said.
The counsel appearing for the petitioner referred to suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir's announcement to construct a replica of the Babri Masjid in West Bengal's Murshidabad district.
He said the petitioner was against the construction of mosques in the name of 'invaders' in this country.
The counsel said Kabir had 'announced for construction of Babri Masjid in Murshidabad despite the fact that Babur was an invader' and some action should be taken against him.
He argued that the Centre and state authorities should be directed to restrain construction of any monument or any mosque in the name of Babur.
After the bench said it was dismissing the petition, the counsel sought its permission to withdraw the plea.
What the plea sought
The plea sought a direction to the Centre, states and others to consider the petitioner's case for restraining or banning the construction, establishment or naming of any mosque or religious structure in the name of Babur or Babri Masjid or any other derivative names across India.
It also sought a direction to the authorities to consider framing appropriate guidelines or issue circulars and administrative orders for banning the construction of any mosque, religious structure in the name of Babri Masjid, Babur or any such person who invaded in India.
A five-judge bench of the apex court had delivered a landmark verdict in November 2019 in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case.
The top court had cleared the way for the construction of a Ram Temple at the disputed site at Ayodhya, and directed the Centre to allot a five-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a mosque.
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