Ayodhya verdict: Anand Mahindra appreciates 5 judges for 'extraordinary courage', Mohandas Pai pleased, Farhan Akhtar urges people to stay calm

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court (SC) on Saturday finally delivered its verdict on the sensitive Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid suit. The apex court directed the Centre to form a Trust within three months to build a temple at the disputed site of 2.77 acre in Ayodhya.

In a unanimous judgement, a five-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, said the Sunni Waqf Board, which was a party to the title suit, should be given an alternate land somewhere else to build a mosque.

To ensure law and order, Section 144 of the CrPC has been imposed in Mumbai, while security has been beefed up around the Jama Masjid area and parts of Old Delhi.

B-town celebrities, business leaders, renowned authors and other personalities urged the citizens of the country to remain calm and move on.

Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra admired the five members - - Ranjan Gogoi, SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer - at the bench for their 'extraordinary courage' and their 'incredible application of mind'. About 12 hours before the hearing, the top boss had tweeted, hoping for a judgement that will make India a stronger and more united nation.


'The Sky Is Pink' actor Farhan Akhtar requested the countrymen to respect the verdict. "Our country needs to move on from this as one people," he added.


While Taapsee Pannu hailed the verdict, Nimrat Kaur said no better words could describe this landmark day.



Actor Vivek Oberoi, who played the lead in PM Narendra Modi's biopic this year, asked the nation to honour Mahatma Gandhi's by keeping peace and staying united.



Singer-turned-politician Babul Supriyo requested everyone in Asansol to maintain peace. He said that this verdict wasn't victory or loss to anyone, and should be accepted with grace. "Ram Rajya is always referred to as a Raj where complete peace prevailed," he added.


In his tweet, Padma Shri Awardee and Former Infosys director TV Mohandas Pai said that SC did justice to 'India, its people, constitution and Hindus'. "The sword in heart of Indian civilisation has been removed," he exclaimed.


Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar also took to Twitter to 'wholeheartedly' welcome the historic judgment. "This has brought joy and relief to people of both communities from a long-standing dispute," he wrote.


Film-maker Atul Kasbekar urged people to move on for the sake of the country.


Renowned writer Chetan Bhagat thanked SC for the verdict, and the Hindu community for their patience. He also appreciated the entire Muslim community for their grace and generosity. 'India remains intact,' he added. Minutes before the verdict, the author had also tweeted a positive message, which read, "...No God would want disruption of peace. Let's keep it that way."


While #AyodhyaVerdict was the top trend across the globe, other hashtags like #RamMandir, #BabriMasjid, #HinduMuslimBhaiBhai, #AyodhyaJudgement, #AyodhyaHearing and #AyodhyaCase continued to show up on the trending list.