29 January 2019•Update: 30 January 2019
By Ahmad Adil
CHANDIGARH, India
The Indian government has approached the country’s Supreme Court seeking permission to allow the transfer of part of a “surplus” land near the disputed Babri Masjid site to its original owners, local media reported.
The move by the ruling Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) has come as the country is going to general elections in the next few months amid rising demands by right-wing Hindu voters to build a temple at the disputed site.
The Supreme Court of India on Sunday had further delayed hearing of the case after Justice S A Bobde, one of the five judges, was not available on the hearing date.
Local daily Indian Express reported the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, a Hindu trust, has sought the return of land.
The move has been met with strong criticism by Muslim leaders in India.
“This is an attempt by BJP to show to their cadres that we are doing something for them (to build the temple). The BJP is doing this because of the upcoming elections,” Tasleem Rahmani, head of the New Delhi-based Muslim Political Council, told Anadolu Agency.
In December 1992, Hindus gathered at the disputed site and destroyed the 16th-century mosque named after Mughal Emperor Babur. The destruction sparked nationwide riots that left around 2,000 people dead.
The dispute between Hindus and Muslims has resulted in thousands of deaths over the years.
Muslims demand a new mosque at the site, while Hindus claim that this was where their god Ram was born, demanding instead a temple at the site.
The case over the dispute has been languishing in India’s courts for years without any verdict.
