In an unusual coincidence, the two judges of a Supreme Court bench hearing a plea against the survey of the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex in Varanasi have had an association with a similar kind of dispute relating to the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri masjid issue as well.
The fresh initiative for settlement of the Ayodhya dispute, led by a former High Court judge, has been signed by more than 10,000 Hindu and Muslims.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday sought to corner the government over the controversial statement by Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik equating the Babri Masjid demolition with Mumbai terror attacks, as it demanded to know in Rajya Sabha as to why India did not respond strongly.
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the PMO and Congress party of "keeping the country in dark" over Sir Creek issue and slammed UPA for "lacking the guts" to take on "authoritative" Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik for his remarks.
The case is thus political motivated and does not have any moral turpitude, he said.
'If the blatant criminal act of destroying a place of worship is to be rewarded by giving the whole land to those who committed that act, then it raises lots of questions.'
On Monday, a new chapter will be written in Ayodhya's and the country's history with the consecration ceremony at the newly-built Ram temple which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and over 7,000 guests.
The Babri Masjid Action Committee meeting was held against the backdrop of the apex court recently asking parties involved to sit together and arrive at a consensus on the issue, which has been dragging on for decades.
The Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 provides for maintaining the 'religious character' of holy structures as it existed on August 15, 1947.
The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday asked the Centre to furnish by October 31 its affidavit in response to petitions challenging the validity of certain provisions of a 1991 law, which prohibit filing of a lawsuit to reclaim a place of worship or seek a change in its character from what prevailed on August 15, 1947.
Dr S Q R Ilyas, head of the BMAC and a senior member of the board, feels that the Sangh Parivar should not have raked up the Ram temple issue. In a candid chat with rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa, Dr Ilyas said the recent proclamation by the RSS, VHP and BJP was a desperate measure to rake up the issue of Hindutva once again
From a Vishaw Hindu Parishad platform, Bharatiya Janata Party chief Rajnath Singh on Wednesday raked up the Ayodhya issue saying his party is committed to the construction of the Ram temple.
The Varanasi district court arrived at the decision of allowing 'puja' in a Gyanvapi mosque cellar in "haste", the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) said on Friday, asserting it would pursue the matter right up to the Supreme Court.
With Ayodhya issue stuck in the quicksand of political and legal quagmire, a retired high court judge is spearheading a movement to resolve the issue peacefully and has claimed to have got the backing of over seven thousand locals -- both Hindus and Muslims.
Owaisi criticized the court-ordered survey of a Mughal-era mosque in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, saying it weakens India and distracts from real issues like inflation and unemployment.
The Liberhan Commission has recommended to the government to examine the desirability of establishing a Criminal Justice Commission.
Centre's counsel Lala Ram Gupta told the Liberhan Commission that the issue is whether a temple existed on the disputed site before the construction of the Babri Mosque.
'Nitish Kumar has reverted to the 1990s model. The besetting sin of this type of ministry formation was a fundamental insult to democracy,' argues T V R Shenoy. 'Not only did it not inform the voter who the prime ministerial candidate was, but it also gloried in keeping out the largest party in the Lok Sabha.'
The Akhara counsel told the apex court that their suit was basically for belongings, possession and management rights.
In a balancing act, the Congress on Tuesday said it would welcome efforts for a negotiated settlement of the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute, but made it clear that the Allahabad high court verdict does not condone the demolition of the mosque.
The ASI's role in marshalling dubious evidence in support of the existence of a Ram temple at Ayodhya is the right occasion to assess its activities as a handmaiden of Hindutva, says Omar Khalidi
The three judges of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court will give separate judgments in the Ramjanma bhoomi-Babri Masjid case at 3.30 pm on Thursday. Lucknow District Magistrate Anil Kumar Sagar told reporters that three synopses of the judgment of the three judges will be given to the media immediately after the pronouncement of the verdict. It will also be put up on the website of the court on the internet, he said.
Is Dawood Ibrahim, defamed gangster and the man wanted by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai following the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, still in Pakistan?
The Central Bureau of Investigation has decided in principle not to file any fresh case from the Liberhan commission report which indicted 68 people including Bharatiya Janata Party stalwarts Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani for demolition of the Babri Masjid, but will go into details of some incidents as pointed out by the Union home ministry.
'His biggest contribution as defence minister was to change the rules of bringing martyred soldiers' bodies home.'
Criticising the high court verdict on partition of disputed land at Ayodhya and terming it 'strange', the apex court said that the partition of disputed land had "opened a litany of litigation.".
Expressing dissatisfaction over the high court's verdict of dividing the 2.77 acre disputed site into three parts among Muslims, Hindus and Nirmohi Akhara, different religious groups have approached the apex court.
'...to think apna time aa gaya after the 2024 election.'
A ready reckoner on the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid issue.
The Bharatiya Janata Party accused the Congress of indulging in "communal polarisation" on the Babri Masjid issue after the Central Bureau of Investigation challenged in the Supreme Court the Allahabad High Court order that dropped conspiracy charge against senior leader L K Advani in the demolition case.
Hashim Ansari's son says the long-drawn court battle had left his father disillusioned.
We had requested the government to make a law on construction of Ram Temple but the government did not do that, Thackeray said.
'This is India, bhai. This kind of country does not exist anywhere in the world.'
Security has been tightened in the hill shrine of Sabarimala in view of the anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition. Contingents of police, CRPF, National Disaster Response Force and armed commandos had been deployed in vital spots at the uphill 'Sannidhanam', where the temple complex is located, and downhill Pampa, senior police officials said.
The Sunni Central Waqf Board is expected to file a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, challenging the Allahabad high court verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suits.
The preliminary decree on the Allahabad high court verdict on Ram Jananbhoomi-Babri Masjid title suits has been prepared and the parties have been asked to file their objections or suggestions within six working days from Monday, an official said
Here are some of the reactions to the Supreme Court verdict on Ayodhya.
The stand adopted by both the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and Bhartiya Janata Party vice president Vinay Katiyar has clearly frustrated the peace initiatives taken by the two sides to bring an end to the vexed Ram Janmbhoomi- Babri Masjid issue without seeking further adjudication by the Supreme Court.
Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily on Sunday said that the Central government has no stand regarding the effort of settlement between the rival parties to Ayodhya dispute.
