Ayodhya verdict: PM says not anybody's win or loss, AIMPLB may seek review

Asserting that the Supreme Court verdict on the Ayodhya issue has heralded a "new dawn", Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said it should not be seen as win or loss for anyone, as the judgement evoked mixed reactions with the BJP, its allies as well as the Congress hailing the ruling and the Muslim side led by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) saying it was contemplating seeking a review. Reactions poured in from all quarters on the unanimous decision of the top court that paved the way for the construction of a Ram Temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya and also directed the Centre to allot an alternative 5-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a new mosque at a "prominent" place in the holy town in Uttar Pradesh.

Muslim leadership expressed their dissatisfaction with the verdict but said they will accept it, and called for peace and calm. "Be it Ram Bhakti or Rahim Bhakti (devotion to Ram or Rahim), it is imperative that we strengthen the spirit of rashtra bhakti (devotion to the country)," the prime minister tweeted soon after the judgement was pronounced, adding "the verdict shouldn't be seen as a win or loss for anybody."

In his address to the nation later in the evening, Modi noted that the Berlin Wall was brought down on November 9, 1989 bringing two contrasting ideologies together as he called for countrymen to join hands to move forward and appealed for peace and amity. Referring to the Ayodhya dispute, the prime minister said the judgment has heralded a "new dawn" and urged the people to shun any fear, bitterness and negativity to build a new India.

Home Minister Amit Shah welcomed the judgement saying the order will prove to be a milestone and further strengthen India's unity and integrity. In a series of tweets, Shah appealed to all communities and religions to accept the decision of the apex court with ease and remain committed to 'Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat' (one India, great India).

Asserting that the Supreme Court verdict on the Ayodhya issue highlighted "truth and justice", RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat also echoed the Prime Minister's view that it should not be seen as anybody's victory or defeat. Welcoming the ruling, Bhagwat said everybody should now forget the dispute, which had continued for many decades, and work together to build a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya.

BJP working president Jagat Prakash Nadda said his party has always been committed to the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and it played a "sincere and positive" role on the issue. Several Union ministers, including Rajnath Singh, Prakash Javadekar and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi also hailed the verdict.

"The Judgment of Hon'ble Supreme Court on Ayodhya is historic. The Judgement will further strengthen India's social fabric. I urge everyone to take the verdict with equanimity and magnanimity. I also appeal to the people to maintain peace & harmony after this landmark verdict," Rajnath tweeted. The Congress said it respects the Supreme Court verdict is in favour of Ram temple construction.

In a resolution passed by the Congress Working Committee chaired by party chief Sonia Gandhi, the party also appealed to all parties concerned and all communities to "abide by the secular values and spirit of fraternity enshrined in the Constitution and to maintain peace and harmony". Addressing a press conference, AIMPLB Secretary Zafaryab Jilani said, "We are dissatisfied with certain findings of the Supreme Court.... We respect the Supreme Court verdict and respectfully disagree with certain aspects of it."

Jilani said they will study the judgement and may seek a review. "Even the inner courtyard has been given to the other party. It is not just," he argued, adding the working committee of the board will soon sit and discuss.

"Whatever legal recourse is possible we will take," he told reporters. The Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board, one of the main litigants in the case, welcomed the verdict and said it has no plans to challenge it.

"We welcome the Supreme Court verdict in the case. The Board has no plans to challenge it," the Board's chairman, Zafar Ahmad Farooqui, told PTI. "As of now, the verdict is being studied thoroughly after which the Board will issue a detailed statement," he said.

Left parties said that the verdict clearing the way for the construction of a Ram Temple at the disputed site at Ayodhya, should not be seen as a victory for any litigant. The CPI(M) in a statement said that while the judgment has provided a judicial resolution to this fractious issue there are certain premises of the judgment which are "questionable."

The CPI in a statement said that the apex court has delivered a "reconciliatory judgment". AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi in a press conference in Hyderabad said the Supreme court verdict on the Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi land dispute was a "victory of belief over facts."

The Hyderabad MP also said he was not satisfied with the ruling and quoted a former Chief Justice of India to say the top court is "indeed supreme but not infallible." Hitting out at Owaisi, Naqvi said some people have a "Talibani mindset" and "no trust" in the judiciary of the country.

National Commission for Minorities chairperson Ghayorul Hasan Rizvi claimed that Muslims are happy with the Supreme Court's Ayodhya verdict and condemned Jilani's remarks. Expressing satisfaction over the judgment, Iqbal Ansari, one of the litigants, said he will not challenge it.

The key players of the Ram Janambhoomi movement such as Uma Bharti, Murli Manohar Joshi and K N Govindacharya also reacted to the verdict. Bharti, who met Advani here, hailed the party veteran's role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement as she welcomed the court's order.

A key figure herself in the temple movement, Bharti said Advani's devotion to temple cause is at the root of the BJP's success and its coming back to power for another term. Former RSS ideologue Govindacharya credited late VHP stalwart Ashok Singhal and Advani for the success of the cause.

"I welcome the verdict. But the trust that will look after the construction of the Ram Temple will have to be considerate about keeping intact unity among people," Joshi told reporters here. Hindutva leader Pravin Togadia also hailed the verdict as a "tribute" to "lakhs of Hindus" who had sacrificed their lives for a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar welcomed the verdict, saying it has brought "joy and relief" to members of Hindu and Muslim communities. Ravi Shankar was part of the mediation panel earlier appointed by the apex court for amicable resolution of the dispute.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)