CJI Ranjan Gogoi reconstitutes bench to hear Ayodhya case
New Delhi, Jan 25 (IBNS): Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Friday reconstituted the Constitution bench that will hear the Ayodhya case on January 29, said reports.
The reconstitution of the five-judge bench was necessitated because Justice U.U. Lalit had recused himself from the five-judge bench saying he had been a lawyer in a related case.
Justice Abdul Nazeer and Justice Ashok Bhushan were added to the bench by the CJI on Friday. Justice N.V. Ramana, has been excluded from the new bench.
Apart from the two new judges and the CJI, the others in the bench would be Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice S.A. Bobde.
What is the case?
The Supreme Court will hear pleas challenging Allahabad High Court's verdict which divided 2.77-acre disputed Ayodhya land among Ram Lalla, Sunni Waqf Board and Nirmohi Akhara.
The apex court will decide whether Ram temple can be built in the same disputed land, where Babri Masjid was held till 1992.
Background of the case:
In 1992, the disputed Babri Masjid structure was brought down by several right-wing volunteers who believe Lord Ram was born at that land.
On September 27, the apex court had refused to re-visit its 1994 verdict which had stated mosque was not important for Muslims to offer prayers, paving way for the hearing of the Ayodhya case.
Modi wants to wait for verdict:
Though several right-wing organisations had demanded an ordinance be passed by the central government to construct Ram temple in Ayodhya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 1 said he will wait for the verdict to come.
Citing the government took action over triple talaq only after the top court verdict, Modi, in an interview with ANI, said: "I urge Congress people to allow the court proceedings to take place over the Ram temple case in the Supreme court. After the verdict comes, the government will initiate its action."
How the construction of Ram temple matters to BJP?
The verdict, if passed prior to 2019 General Elections, will boost up the BJP, whose political commitment was building Ram temple in Ayodhya.
After the adjournment of the hearing, the verdict has become uncertain before the Lok Sabha polls.
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