Why all questions directed at Muslim parties: Counsel asks SC bench hearing Ayodhya dispute
Counsel for the Muslim parties in the Ayodhya dispute has asked the Supreme Court bench why all questions are directed at their side and never towards the others.
In Short
- SC is hearing the Ayodhya matter for the 38th straight day in the daily hearings
- Counsel for the Muslim parties asked the court why all questions are directed at him
- SC has set Oct 17 as the deadline to finish all arguments
The Ayodhya land dispute hearing in Supreme Court has entered the last few days with the October 17 deadline inching close. The Muslim parties are closing their arguments on Monday and while presenting their case, counsel Rajeev Dhavan asked the court why all questions are directed at him and not the other stakeholders.
"I have noticed something very interesting during this hearing. All your questions have been directed towards me and not them. Perhaps your Lordships could have asked them some questions too," said Rajeev Dhavan in the apex court on the 38th day of the day-to-day hearing of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case.
The court however ignored the remark made by the counsel of the Muslim parties and said that he will have to answer all questions that are directed at him.
Senior advocate CS Vaidyanathan, who is appearing for deity Ram Lalla, objected to the comment and said it is an "unwarranted statement".
Dhavan then shot back saying, "It is not unwarranted. I'm bound to answer all questions but why are all questions directed at us?"
A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, which started the day-to-day proceedings on August 6 after mediation proceedings failed to find an amicable solution to the vexatious dispute, has revised the deadline for wrapping up the proceedings and has fixed it on October 17.
Fourteen appeals have been filed in the apex court against the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgment, delivered in four civil suits, that the 2.77-acre land in Ayodhya be partitioned equally among the three parties -- the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.