RSS welcomes SC's Ayodhya verdict

The RSS has welcomed the Supreme Court judgement on Ayodhya on Thursday and expressed confidence that a just verdict on the case will be reached at the earliest.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat speaks at the event titled Future of Bharat: An RSS perspective, in New Delhi. PTI Photo

NEW DELHI: The RSS has welcomed the Supreme Court judgement on Ayodhya on Thursday and expressed confidence that a just verdict on the case will be reached at the earliest. "Today, the Supreme Court has decided to hold hearing on the Shri Rama Janmabhumi case from 29th October by a three member bench. We welcome this decision and are confident that a just verdict will be reached over the case at the earliest," RSS' Akhil Bhartiya Prachar Pramukh Arun Kumar said in a statement. The Supreme Court has declined to refer to a five-judge Constitution bench the issue of reconsideration of the observations in its 1994 judgement that a mosque was not integral to Islam which had arisen during the hearing of the Ayodhya land dispute. In a majority verdict of 2:1, an apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said the civil suit has to be decided on the basis of evidence, adding that the previous verdict has no relevance on this issue. The apex court said now the civil suit on land dispute will be heard by a newly constituted three-judge bench on October 29 as Justice Misra will retire on October 2 as the CJI. Earlier this month, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat during Sangh's three-day outreach conclave had pitched for an early construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. He also supported a dialogue on the issue but said a final decision rests with the Ram Mandir Samiti, which is spearheading the campaign for the construction of a Ram temple. Bhagwat said he would not know whether an ordinance on Ram temple could be promulgated as he is not part of the government. He said issues such as whether an ordinance can be issued and legal challenges to it will have to be looked into.

(With PTI inputs)