Ayodhya Dispute: SC Commences Day-to-day Hearing, Rejects Plea Seeking Live Streaming of Proceedings

Following the revocation of Article 370, just a day ago, the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad had demanded similar steps in the Ayodhya land dispute.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected the request of KN Govindacharya for the live streaming as well as audio or video recording of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case. Notably, the apex court commenced the day-to-day hearing in the politically sensitive case today after the efforts to arrive at an amicable settlement through mediation have failed.

Seeking live streaming or transmission of the hearing of the politically sensitive Ayodhya land dispute case, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue had moved the court on Monday. A bench comprising Justices SA Bodbe and BR Gavai turned down his request saying, “We don’t know if we have equipment for live streaming or recording of proceedings.”

Meanwhile, on Monday, after the government’s decision to revocate Article 370, the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad had demanded similar steps for construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya. “We have always demanded scrapping of Article 370 to ensure Jammu-Kashmir’s proper integration with the rest of the country,” Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas head Mahant Nritya Gopal Das had said.

The daily hearing of the case will be conducted by a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi. On August 2, the bench had taken note of the mediation proceedings which went on for about four months and did not result in any final settlement.

Following the August 2 order, senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, appearing for a Muslim party had raised several technical issues and said that he would need 20 days to argue the various issues arising in the matter in detail and there should not be any curtailment on the hearing.

The highly-debated dispute involves a 2.77-acre land in Ayodhya where stood a 16th-century mosque, known to have been built by Mughal emperor Babur, that was demolished in 1992.

Fourteen appeals are pending before the Supreme Court against the 2010 Allahabad High Court verdict which had ordered an equal division of the disputed land.