Supreme Court judge recuses himself from hearing plea in Ayodhya case

New Delhi: A Supreme Court judge on Friday recused himself from hearing a plea seeking better amenities for pilgrims at the 'Ram Janmabhoomi' site near the disputed structure at Ayodhya.

"We are not taking up this matter," a bench comprising Justices AR Dave and Adarsh Kumar Goel said when BJP leader Subramanian Swamy sought the court's order on facilities for pilgrims.

Justice Dave referred the matter to be listed before another bench on October 16, after Justice Goel expressed his inability to hear the case without assigning any reason. Earlier, the court had asked the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government to consider providing better amenities, feasible in the present scenario, to pilgrims in Ayodhya.

Swamy had submitted that the pilgrims were deprived of even basic facilities like drinking water and toilets and faced difficulties due to inadequate arrangements made by both the Centre and U P government.

Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh had said that the Centre would consider the plea made by Swamy. Swamy had said the status quo order passed by the apex court in 1996 was limited to prohibit building of any structure at the disputed site.

In his application, he had sought an order from the apex court to "ameliorate the lot of millions of Hindu pilgrims who make the pilgrimage to the site of the 'Ram Janma Bhoomi' at Ayodhya, to have a 'darshan' and perform 'pooja'."