india

Updated: Aug 27, 2019 01:27 IST

Hindu body ‘Nirmohi Akhara’ is “unnecessarily” opposing the plea of deity ‘Ram Lalla’ for the title of disputed Ramjanam Bhoomi-Babri Masjid land as both the parties will “stand” or “fall” together, the Supreme Court said Monday.

A five-judge constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, was critical of the submission of ‘Akhara’ that being the ‘shebait’ (devotee), only its lawsuit was maintainable and the case filed by deity ‘Ram Lalla Virajman’, through next friend Deoki Nandan Agrawal, should not be allowed.

“There is no conflict between your [Akhara’s] suit and the suit filed by plaintiff number 1 (Ram Lalla)... Even if the suit of plaintiff (deity and others) is allowed, your right as ‘shebait’ stands,” the bench said while hearing the arguments on the 12th day of the decades-old, politically sensitive case.

“You [Akhara] can claim your ‘shebait’ right independently. Unnecessarily, you are entering into the conflicting territory. It is for Sunni Waqf Board to do that,” said the bench, comprising Justices S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S A Nazeer. The bench asked senior advocate Sushil Jain, appearing for ‘Nirmohi Akhara’, that if the lawsuit of the deity was disallowed then for whom will the Akhara be ‘shebait’ of.

The bench asked Jain to apprise it of the view of ‘Akhara’ on Tuesday as to whether it was still seeking dismissal of the lawsuit filed by the deity and others.