Nirmohi Akhara disgruntled

THE Supreme Court judgment has denied the Nirmohi Akhara, which was managing the puja since 1885 in the outer courtyard of the disputed area, any rights over the proposed temple. Ranjit Lal Verma, its lawyer, told Frontline that the Akhara might go in for a review petition because it had been completely deprived of its claim over the temple.

“We have been doing puja in the outer courtyard since 1885. Even the Supreme Court accepted this when it talked of the continued worship by Hindus. It is difficult to understand how we have been ousted like this,” Verma said, adding that the Akhara would hold a meeting soon to decide the final course of action.

“The judgment is completely one-sided and confusing. While the court says it cannot adjudicate on a title suit on the basis of faith, it has done exactly that and given the entire land to Hindus because of their faith that this was the birthplace of Lord Ram.”

According to him, it would have been fine even if the court had given the Akhara a prominent position in the proposed trust. “But making us just one of its members is not acceptable to us. We should have been made the administrator of the trust,” he said.