The Supreme Court will be reading out its verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute in Ayodhya on Saturday. The CJI Ranjan Gogoi-led SC bench is expected to pronounce its judgment in the prolonged, politically sensitive case at 10:30 am on Saturday.
After hearing the Ayodhya dispute for a period of 40 days, the Supreme Court bench reserved its judgment on the last day of the hearing on October 16.
Other members of the five-judge constitution bench are Justices SA Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer.
Here’s all you need to know about the upcoming Ayodhya verdict:
– Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed for peace and calm ahead of the Ayodhya verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute. He said whatever the Supreme Court decides will not be loss or victory for any party and harmony must be maintained at all cost.
– The SC will deliver its verdict on 14 lawsuits that were filed against the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgment on the Ayodhya land dispute. The high court had partitioned the 2.77 acre land in Ayodhya equally among the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.
– The first lawsuit in the dispute was filed by Gopal Singh Visharad, a devotee of ”Ram Lalla”, in 1950 in a lower court to seek enforcement of the right to worship of Hindus at the disputed site.
– In 1961, the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Wakf Board moved the Supreme Court, claiming title right over the disputed property in Ayodhya.
– Later, all the lawsuits were transferred to the Allahabad High Court for adjudication following the demolition of the disputed Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri Masjid structure on December 6, 1992, sparking communal riots in the country.
– On August 6, after the Supreme Court-appointed mediation panel failed to provide any fruitful results, the court took it upon itself to hear the dispute. The court heard the matter on a daily basis and finished the marathon process after 40 days on October 16.
– On November 9, the Supreme Court Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi will be pronouncing the much-anticipated verdict in the massively sensitive case of the Ayodhya land dispute.
– Elaborate security arrangements have been put in place in Uttar Pradesh and especially Ayodhya ahead of the verdict. All schools, colleges and educational institutes in UP will be shut on Saturday.
– The Centre has rushed additional 4,000 paramilitary forces to Uttar Pradesh ahead of the Ayodhya verdict. CJI Ranjan Gogoi held a meeting with Uttar Pradesh officials to take stock of the security arrangements.
– Very tight security has also been deployed across the nation. Educational institutions will remain also closed in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and J&K’s Kathua.
– Section 144 has been imposed across Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and parts of Karnataka.
– Police across the nation are keeping a close watch on social media for any objectionable post.
