Ayodhya verdict: Maintain peace, Maha CM appeals to people

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said the Supreme Court's Ayodhya verdict should be respected by everyone and appealed to all sections of society to maintain calm and peace. The Supreme Court is scheduled to pronounce on Saturday its verdict in the politically sensitive case of Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute in Ayodhya. The apex court is likely to pronounce judgment at 10:30 am.

In a statement on the eve of the verdict, Fadnavis said it is a collective responsibility to maintain peace and harmony and care should be taken to ensure no sentiments are hurt. "Everyone should exercise restraint and maintain peace and harmony. The state government is in touch with all agencies," he said.

A notice regarding the pronouncement of judgment by a Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, was uploaded on the official website of the Supreme Court late Friday evening. Other members of the bench are Justices S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer.