After Ayodhya verdict, politicians call for peace and harmony
The Supreme Court on Saturday put an end to a decades-old case that had been defining socio-political fabric in India. The CJI Ranjan Gogoi-led five-judge constitutional bench allowed the construction of a Ram Temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, and said five acres of land should be given to Muslims for a mosque. After the judgment, politicians across the spectrum called for peace.
First, let's tell you what happened in Supreme Court
The bench unanimously ordered in favor of the temple, while noting that the Muslim side failed to prove ownership of the land. CJI Gogoi said the court's job is to respect all faiths, and noted that Hindus' belief that Lord Ram took human form beneath the dome is "undisputed". The Centre was directed to form a trust within three months to facilitate temple's construction.
Subsequently, 'maintain peace' emerged as the prime message
Soon after the judgment, Congress said it welcomed it. Meanwhile, in a tweet, BSP supremo Mayawati, who headed Uttar Pradesh when Allahabad High Court gave its judgment in 2010, urged people to respect the verdict. And Uttarakhand's Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat tweeted, " No rumors or objectionable comments should be made on social media or other platforms that could adversely affect social harmony."
Notably, PM Modi spoke about Rashtra Bhakti
Further, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who reached Punjab earlier in the day for the inauguration of the Kartarpur Corridor, in a series of tweets said the verdict will reaffirm people's faith in the judiciary. "Be it Ram Bhakti or Rahim Bhakti, it is imperative that we strengthen the spirit of Rashtra Bhakti. May peace and harmony prevail," he tweeted a short while ago.
This decision will unite India: Home Minister Amit Shah
Separately, RSS boss said it's better late than never
A short while ago, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat welcomed the decision to construct a temple. "Earlier attempts to mediate were not successful, attempts were made, but they didn't work out for whatever reasons. Better late than never," he said. He added, "Whatever the court has said will be examined. The land has to be given by the government. We want the acrimony to end."
RSS won't be a part of any agitation, stated Bhagwat
Talking about his organization's future plans, he clarified, "RSS will not be involved in any political movement after this. RSS will only focus on character building from now on and not be involved in any future agitation." Interestingly, after the judgment, BJP leader Uma Bharti visited veteran LK Advani. She reminded that he started the movement decades ago, which paved path for the temple.
Separately, miffed with SC, Owaisi warned against patronizing Muslims
While most politicians called for calm, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said Muslims shouldn't be "patronized". "We have full faith in the Constitution, we were fighting for our right, we don't need 5-acre land as a donation. We should reject this 5-acre land offer," he added. He also blamed Congress' PMs Rajiv Gandhi and PV Narasimha Rao for their "role" in the dispute.
