New Delhi, March 13
The BJP-led NDA government suffered a debilitating blow today with the Supreme Court rejecting its plea for either a symbolic “bhoomi puja” or any kind of religious activity in Ayodhya on Friday to avoid any escalation of the situation.
Underlining the need for maintaining the status quo, the three-judge bench of the Apex Court directed that no part of the 67.703 acres of land acquired by the Union Government “shall be handed over to anyone nor permitted to be occupied by anyone or used for any religious purpose till further orders.”
Though the NDA government was prompt in emphasising that it will strictly abide by the verdict of the Supreme Court, the discernible view among the top Central leadership was that the Ayodhya problem needed to be resolved expeditiously.
The Vajpayee government’s expectation that the Supreme Court might concede its argument of having a symbolic puja on the undisputed land to defuse tension and avoid a potentially explosive situation fell flat.
Even as the opposition parties and Muslim organisations welcomed the Supreme Court ruling and attacked the Vajpayee government for its duplicity in tackling the Ayodhya issue, some of NDA allies like the Trinamool Congress and the Telugu Desam Party were highly agitated that they had not been consulted.
Though there was no immediate danger of the Trinamool Congress and the TDP leaving the NDA fold, they were emphatic that status quo must be maintained and all parties to the dispute must abide by the final adjudication of the Court. They were categoric that no effort should be spared in maintaining calm and communal harmony, especially after the shameful and horrendous Godhra incident and subsequent communal frenzy in Gujarat.
The entreaties of the Centre and especially that of the BJP to placate its front organisations failed to convince the court. This was evident from the observations of the Bench that the permission granted for a symbolic puja at the disputed site in 1992 led to the demolition of the structure despite undertakings given by the government.
“We direct that on the 67.703 acres of land located in revenue plots no 159 and 160 in Kot Ramchandra village which is vested in the Central Government, no religious activity of any kind by anyone either symbolic or actual, including “bhumi puja” or
“shila pooja”, shall be permitted or allowed to take place,” the court said.
The Bench comprising Mr Justice B.N. Kirpal, Mr Justice G.B. Pattanaik and Mr Justice V.N. Khare admitted the petition filed by Mohammad Aslam, alias Bhure, for handing over Ayodhya to the Army and restraining the movement of “kar sewaks or holding any pooja” and referred the matter to a larger bench for adjudication.
Notices were also issued to the Centre, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat governments and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad on the petition to file their response within four weeks.
The interim order of the Supreme Court compelled the top leadership of the NDA government to go into a huddle with Attorney-General Soli Sorabjee explaining the salient aspects of the interim order of the Supreme Court.
In interpreting the 1994 court order, Mr Sorabjee said the government was thinking of allowing a symbolic pooja subject to stringent condition. It was proposed to restrict the the number of sants between 50 and 70. Further, he said that kar sewaks would not be allowed to participate in the pooja and only 1000 of them would be allowed to witness the same from a distance of 300 metres. He also told the court that while the government was thinking of allowing a symbolic pooja, it was firm that no carved pillars would be allowed to be moved near the acquired land.
Representing the VHP, former Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Ram Jois noted that the status quo did not apply to the undisputed land which had been acquired by the Centre. As 43 acres of the undisputed land was owned by the Ram Janambhoomi Nyas, there should be no objection for a symbolic puja.
The Bench said “at present even if it is the correct reading of the 1994 order, we will not allow any pooja which will escalate the situation.”
