New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Friday stated that the Supreme Court appointed Ram Temple Mediation Committee invited him to suggest a mediated solution to help resolve the decades long-pending Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case.
“Yesterday SC–appointed Ram Temple Mediation Committee invited me to appear and to suggest a mediated solution. Dates are being worked out,” Swamy tweeted. The Supreme Court had referred the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case for court-appointed and monitored mediation and expressed the view that the proceedings should be conducted with “utmost confidentiality” to ensure its success.
After taking note of the submissions made by the parties concerned, the bench constituted a three-member committee which would be chaired by retired top court judge Justice Fakkir Mohamed Ibrahim Kalifulla. The panel would have spiritual guru and founder of the Art of Living Foundation Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and senior Madras High Court advocate Sriram Panchu as members.
In its order, the bench, said that the mediation proceedings will be held in Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh and the state government will provide the mediators all facilities. It said the mediators will be at liberty to co-opt other members of the panel, if needed, and can seek further legal assistance as and when required. The mediation process should begin in a week and a progress report filed within four weeks of its commencement, it said, noting that the process should be completed in eight weeks.
On Wednesday, the bench had reserved its order on the mediation issue, saying it was “looking at hearts, minds and healing if possible”, and that a “negotiated settlement” was the “best way to restore peace”. The bench was hearing appeals against the September 30, 2010 verdict of the Allahabad High Court which ordered a three-way division of the disputed 2.77 acres of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya between the Nirmohi Akhara sect, the Sunni Central Wakf Board, Uttar Pradesh and Ramlalla Virajman.