When there were more interruptions, the CJI said it would be impossible to continue and the bench would rise if the parties didn’t behave.Unprecedented scenes were witnessed in the Supreme Court Wednesday, in the final hours of the Ayodhya hearings, when senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, appearing for the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board, tore a map provided by a Hindu party.
This happened following an argument between Dhavan and senior advocate Vikas Singh who was representing the All India Hindu Mahasabha. Singh wanted the court to take on record a book Ayodhya Revisited, authored by retired IPS officer Kunal Kishore. Dhavan objected, saying the book was not part of the records before the Allahabad HC and it was not open to the other side to produce fresh evidence. Following an argument, Singh agreed not to submit the book. But he asked the bench to look at a map which, he said, showed Ram’s birthplace. He said this map was also part of the records before the HC.
Kishore Kunal, the publisher of the map outside the SC today. (ANI)This infuriated Dhavan who asked CJI Ranjan Gogoi if he could throw it away. The CJI said he could tear it if he so wished. Dhavan promptly tore the map into pieces, at which Singh said “yeah, shred it further”. When there were more interruptions, the CJI said it would be impossible to continue and the bench would rise if the parties didn’t behave.
During the post-lunch session, Dhavan told the bench: “There is a controversy that I tore papers in the court on my own… I think I asked if I can throw it away, and CJI told me I can tear it if I want. So I tore it”.
The CJI had a smile when he replied: “Yes, you are right… you can say the CJI told Mr Dhavan that if it’s tearable, you can.”