BJP leaders Joshi, Mahajan hail Ayodhya verdict

Senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi on Sunday welcomed the Supreme Court's Ayodhya verdict. The Supreme Court in a unanimous verdict on Saturday cleared the way for the construction of a Ram Temple at the disputed site at Ayodhya, and directed the Centre to allot a 5-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a mosque.

He said the construction of the Ram temple would be taken by the trust that has to be formed by the Union government as per the apex court's order. He evaded a direct query on whether his party would help in the construction of a mosque on the 5-acre plot that the SC had ordered the Centre to allot to the Muslim community in Ayodhya.

"All this will be decided by the trust that will be formed by the government," he said. Queried on the SC's observation on Babri Masjid demolition, Joshi refused to speak on it beyond saying that a trial on it was already underway.

The site was occupied by the 16th century Babri mosque, built by Mughal empire's founder Babur, which was destroyed by Hindu kar sevaks on December 6, 1992. A special CBI court in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow is conducting trial of accused persons, including Joshi, for allegedly conspiring to demolish the mosque at the disputed Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya.

Former Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan also hailed the verdict. The two BJP leaders were at Dr Hedgewar Smruti premises in Nagpur to attend the birth centenary celebrations of RSS labour leader late Dattopant Thengdi.

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