Saints oppose Sri Sri’s name, Muslim litigants welcome SC’s mediation move in Ayodhya dispute - Hindustan Times
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Saints oppose Sri Sri’s name, Muslim litigants welcome SC’s mediation move in Ayodhya dispute

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByPawan Dixit/M Tariq Khan, Lucknow/ayodhya
Mar 09, 2019 10:21 AM IST

The Supreme Court on Friday constituted a three-member committee for mediation in the Ayodhya dispute. Justice Kalifulla (retd) will head the committee which will have Sri Sri Ravi Shanker and senior advocate Sriram Panchu as its members.

Even as the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board and the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Friday welcomed the apex court’s initiative for mediation, the decision evoked a lukewarm response from saints in Ayodhya.

The committee will carry out its mediation in Ayodhya. Starting within a week, the court has set a deadline of four weeks for the committee to complete its work.(Biplov Bhuyan/HT PHOTO)
The committee will carry out its mediation in Ayodhya. Starting within a week, the court has set a deadline of four weeks for the committee to complete its work.(Biplov Bhuyan/HT PHOTO)

The Supreme Court on Friday constituted a three-member committee for mediation in the Ayodhya dispute. Justice Kalifulla (retd) will head the committee which will have Sri Sri Ravi Shanker and senior advocate Sriram Panchu as its members.

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The committee will carry out its mediation in Ayodhya. Starting within a week, the court has set a deadline of four weeks for the committee to complete its work.

“More than a dozen efforts have been made to resolve the Ayodhya dispute through mediation. All of them failed due to stubborn approach of Muslim litigants,” said Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, head of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, the supreme body of saints that has been spearheading the temple movement across the country.

“I am not optimistic that the Supreme Court appointed mediation committee will be able to do much on the issue. The committee does not have any local resident of Ayodhya,” said the Mahant.

Sharad Sharma, regional spokesperson of VHP, also termed the decision a futile exercise. “This will only delay resolution of the issue through court’s verdict,” said Sharma.

The Hindu Mahasabha and the saints’ community of Ayodhya voiced their opposition over Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s inclusion in the mediation committee.

Mahant Dhinendra Das of the Nirmohi Akhara welcomed the court’s decision. “The Nirmohi Akhara has no objection on the inclusion of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s name in the committee,” he said.

Triloki Nath Pandey, a representative of Ram Lalla (the child deity Lord Ram), said: “I am against any form of mediation in the case at this stage. All previous efforts for an out-of-court settlement through mediation have failed.”

Some saints also questioned the absence of any saint in the committee.

Hindu litigants who are opposed to mediation plan consider Sri Sri Ravi Shankar as rank-outsider on the Ram Mandir issue. Earlier too, the Ayodhya saints had boycotted Sri Sri whenever he had tried to mediate on the dispute.

Meanwhile, UP Sunni Central Waqf Board and the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) welcomed the initiative saying they had never said no to talks on the issue.

The only discordant note was struck by AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi.

“Sri Sri had threatened that India would become like Syria if Ram Mandir isn’t built. He has asked Muslims to give up their legal claim over the title of ‘Babri Masjid’. How will he be a neutral mediator?” Owaisi tweeted soon after the apex court’s order.

AIMPLB secretary and counsel for Babri Masjid Action Committee Zafaryab Jilani said, “In the past, we have participated in negotiations and are again ready for talks but I would not like to say anything more at this stage.”

Waqf Board chairman Zufar Ahmed Faruqi, who has already given his consent in writing to join the mediation process in person to the apex court, said other representatives of Muslim parties in the case may also join them.

Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahli, the Imam of Lucknow Eidgah and an AIMPLB member, welcomed the court’s decision saying he was hopeful that the mediation would yield some positive outcome.

“It’s a title suit, not a faith-related case. We accepted the mediation proposal honouring the Supreme Court. Our stance on Babri Masjid has not changed at all,” said Maulana Umrain Rahmani, secretary, AIMPB.

Muslim litigant Iqbal Ansari welcomed the apex court’s decision but questioned the absence of any local representative in the three-member core committee.

“The Supreme Court move is in the right direction to resolve the Ayodhya dispute. If the temple issue is resolved by this committee then nothing could be more beneficial for the country,” said Ansari.

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