The five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court today reserved its judgment on the application of the central government seeking to lift the 10-year-old status quo on the undisputed land in Ayodhya.
The Bench finished hearing all the parties in less than four hours, but did not indicate when their decision would be announced.
The central government was supported by the Uttar Pradesh government and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). They said there was no threat to the law and order situation now. Therefore, the undisputed land should be handed over to the central government.
When the presiding judge, Justice Rajendra Babu asked Solicitor-General Kirit Raval, what had happened to the earlier promises to the court, he submitted that Rs 30 crore were spent on preserving the present status quo and the law and order would be preserved at all costs.
Kapil Sibal, counsel representing the Muslim Personal Law Board, read out from the Constitution Bench judgment of 1994 to emphasise that no part of the 67 acre acquired by the central government in 1993 could be handed over to the government or any other party till the land titles were decided.
The 1993 law acquiring the whole area also did not contemplate it. The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court is presently hearing the suits over the titles.
S S Ray, counsel for the original petitioner in the suit, submitted before the Supreme Court that the examination of witnesses would be over in December, and arguments by the parties would start next year.
There was no mention in the Supreme Court about yesterday
