New Delhi: Political leaders welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to appoint a panel headed by retired apex court judge F.M.I. Kalifulla to explore the possibility of an amicable settlement of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case. BSP leader Mayawati called the move “appreciable”.
“Hon’ble Supreme Court's order to constitute in-camera mediation (in Faizabad) in order to resolve the Ayodhya matter seems an honest effort. Hon’ble Court looking for ‘a possibility of healing relationships’ is an appreciable move. BSP welcomes it,” she said on Twitter.
CPM leader Brinda Karat said the previous mediation efforts had failed to yield results but this time, the Supreme Court is monitoring it and all the parties who have gone to the court are in agreement with the decision and it is to be seen what will be the result.
The Congress said it respects the decision of the Supreme Court to refer the politically-sensitive Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case for mediation, and added that it should be final and binding on all parties.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala accused the BJP of politicising the “faith-based issue for political gains for the past 27 years”.
“Since 1992, BJP has kept the issue alive so as to be used in every election for political vote garnering and relegate the Ram Mandir issue to the annals of history post-election — to be revived again in the next election. We sincerely hope that people of India will see through the duplicity and doublespeak of BJP,” he said.
The NCP also welcomed the mediation panel. NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik, in a statement, said, “We welcome the appointment of the three-member mediation panel. If the dispute is resolved, it will be in national interest. The nation is hopeful that the issue would be resolved through consensus.”
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) too welcomed the Supreme Court decision.
“The Supreme Court has given this order and it needs to be welcomed. It would be most befitting that the matter is resolved through dialogue. Let’s see what happens now,” AIMPLB general secretary Maulana Wali Rehmani said.
A number of senior BJP leaders made it clear Friday that building Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya is the only way out of the impasse, soon after the Supreme Court ordered a time-bound mediation to resolve the long-pending issue.
BJP MP Subramanian Swamy also stressed that the construction of Ram temple is non-negotiable.
