india

Updated: Jun 04, 2019 00:05 IST

The Supreme Court-appointed mediation panel formed to explore the possibility of a negotiated settlement to the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute is all set to hold the third round of talks with the petitioners on June 17.

“The discussions so far have been very positive and we expect the next round of talks will also be held in the same spirit,” said one petitioner on condition of anonymity. The panel has been given a two-month extension and time till August 15 by the apex court after it submitted a report stating “progress” had been made with the stakeholders at the meeting.

The development comes even as the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, which has been spearheading the Ram Mandir movement across the country, convened a meeting in Ayodhya on Monday to formulate future strategy for construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. “We were against any form of mediation in the Ayodhya case. Thereafter, we were also against any extension to the mediation panel,” said Mahant Kamal Nayan Das, head of the Nyas. “We want the court to decide the Ayodhya dispute on the basis of facts,” he added.

The Nyas will also discuss the issue with chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who will be in Ayodhya on June 7 to inaugurate a nine-day birthday celebration of Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, the former head of the Nyas.

One of the petitioners said that the decision on the way forward will be taken in consultation with All India Muslim Personal Law Board and Jamiat-e-Ulama Hind. Though the two major Muslim outfits are not a party to the dispute, they have been spearheading and funding the court battle.

On March 8, the SC had appointed a three-member mediation committee headed by justice (retired) FM Ibrahim Kalifulla and comprising senior advocate Sriram Panchu and Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to hold a dialogue with litigants in the Ayodhya case. The panel was given eight weeks’ time to submit its report.

The court-appointed panel held its first meeting in an attempt to resolve the dispute with litigants in Faizabad on March 13.