Supreme Court dismisses plea to perform puja near Ayodhya disputed site  

The Supreme Court of India.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court, on Friday, dismissed a plea against performing prayers at the undisputed part of the 67.7 acres of land in Ayodhya. The petitioner, Pandit Amar Nath Misra, had sought the apex court’s permission to to carry out religious activities in nine temples situated on the undisputed land, which is adjacent to the contested Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid site.

Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, while dismissing the plea, on Friday, told Misra: “You will never let this country remain in peace. There will always be something.”

Misra had moved the Supreme Court after the Allahabad high court dismissed his plea seeking a go-ahead to worship in the nine temples there. The high court had also imposed a cost of Rs 5 lakh on Misra apart from dismissing his plea. Interestingly, the high court had rejected similar petition earlier and imposed fine of Rs 5 lakh to a petitioner for seeking permission to offer namaz at the disputed land.

Earlier, in February, senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy filed a plea in the Supreme Court seeking permission worship at the disputed Ayodhya site. He cited that offering prayer at the disputed site is his fundamental right.

Before that, the court has asked Swamy not to interfere in the Ayodhya land-dispute case. However, the bench said it is ready to hear the plea considering Swamy has filed the plea separately and he had no intension to intervene in the Ayodhya dispute case.

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