Ahead of Ayodhya hearing, all parties pin hopes on SC

Ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on the Ayodhya land dispute case on Monday, Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Mohsin Raza, Muslim cleric Maulana Sufiyan and Zafaryab Jilani of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) have expressed faith in the top court and said that they will abide by its order.

The court will hear a batch of pleas challenging the Allahabad High Court's 2010 verdict by which the disputed land on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid area in Ayodhya was divided into three parts. A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and K. M. Joseph will hear the appeals filed in the matter.

"Chief Justice constitutes the bench and he also fixes the dates for the hearing. We don't know what will be the observation of the Chief Justice. Whether the bench will be changed or it will be the same. We cannot say what will be the fate of the case. It is already proceeding in the Supreme Court. The court will handle the case in its own way. The court cannot be influenced by public statements or any person. Proceedings need not be governed by the statements of the leaders," said Jilani, who is also the convenor of the Babri Masjid Action Committee (BMAC).

On September 27, the apex court had declined to refer to a five-judge constitution bench the issue of reconsideration of the observations in its 1994 judgment that a mosque was not integral to Islam.

Mohsin Raza told ANI, "We expect that the decision will be taken soon. I expect a favourable decision. We will welcome whatever the court will decide, especially for people who have faith in Lord Ram. This is a matter of faith. People have been waiting for it since decades."

Expressing similar sentiments, Bharatiya Janata Party's Vinay Katiyar told ANI, "We are very hopeful. Ram Janmabhoomi is ours. We are not fighting over Temple. We are fighting the battle of Ram Janmabhoomi. People who think this is a fight between Temple and Masjid are wrong." Meanwhile, Maulana Sufiyan has advised that the Supreme Court should "consider all the facts and evidence" and both the parties due time.

"Muslims have already said that they will only consider the decision of the apex court. The decision will come for sure. There is no need to rush. We have already waited long enough, and whatever the decision may be, should be accepted by all.