Ruling that the spot where a makeshift temple exists on the disputed Ayodhya site is the birthplace of Lord Ram and belongs to Hindus, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Thursday said the land there should be divided into three parts among Hindus and Muslims.
The majority 2-1 verdict comes after nearly 60 years of litigation over who holds the title to the disputed site. But Thursday?s order may not be the last word since an appeal may be filed in the Supreme Court.
As an anxious nation awaited the court verdict and hundreds of securitymen fanned out across the country, justices SU Khan, Sudhir Agarwal and DV Sharma delivered the order shortly after 4 PM, writing separate judgments. But the majority verdict held that the area covered by the central dome of the three-domed structure demolished in 1992, and where the idol of Lord Ram is currently situated, belongs to Hindus.
Justices Khan and Agarwal said the entire disputed land should be divided into three equal parts, to be given to Muslims, Nirmohi Akhara and parties representing Ramlalla Virajman (idol of child Ram).
The verdict was delivered under tight security with media and lawyers and parties unrelated to the case kept out of the court premises. Press briefings were arranged in the district collectorate opposite the court premises and the summary of judgments immediately uploaded on the court?s website.
The majority judges declared maintenance of status quo at the disputed land for three months.
One of the parties to the case, Sunni Central Board of Waqfs, said the three-way division of land was not acceptable and it would move the Supreme Court against the verdict.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held confabulations with Cabinet and party colleagues, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, after which he issued an appeal to all sections of people for maintaining peace and tranquility.
He said the issues involved were complex and the government remained fully committed to upholding the rule of law.
The BJP top brass met at the residence of senior leader LK Advani after the verdict. Party spokesman Prakash Javadekar described the verdict as positive. Advani, who had undertaken a Rath Yatra in 1990 for a Ram temple in Ayodhya, described the judgment as a ?significant step? which he said paved the way for construction of a temple.
All three judges of the high court were unanimous on the ownership of the place where the makeshift temple exists. However, Justice Sharma held that the entire disputed area belonged to Hindus.
?It is further declared that the portion below the central dome where at present the idol is kept in makeshift temple will be allotted to Hindus in final decree,? Justice Khan said.
?It is declared that the area covered by the central dome of the three-domed structure, i.e., the disputed structure being the deity of Bhagwan Ram Janamsthan and place of birth of Lord Rama as per faith and belief of the Hindus, belong to plaintiffs (filed on behalf of Lord Ram) and shall not be obstructed or interfered in any manner by the defendants,? justice Agarwal said. Both Justices Khan and Agarwal were also of the view that the rest of the area be shared by Hindus, Muslims and Nirmohi Akhara.