Ayodhya land dispute: Muslims barred from entering temple since 1934, Nirmohi Akhara tells SC

Nirmohi Akhara, one of the parties in the Ayodhya title dispute case, on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that Muslims were not allowed to enter the temple gate since 1934 and it is in their possession since then.

Senior advocate Sushil Jain, appearing on behalf of the Akhara, told a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi that the suit was filed by his client for the belonging, possession and management rights.

"The dome structure in the inner courtyard belongs to the Nirmohi Akhara. They have been wrongfully deprived of the charge and management of the temple," Jain told the court.

The counsel asserted that the inner courtyard, which includes Sita Rasoi, Bhandar Grih, and a place known as "Janam Asthan", are in the possession of the Akhara.

"The idols were placed inside the mosque on the intervening night of December 22-23, 1949. The dispute for Nirmohi Akhara is for the inner courtyard and not the outer courtyard," the counsel stated.

He further contended that the claim over the disputed land was filed by the Akhara in 1934, whereas Sunni Waqf Board filed the suit in 1961.

A five-judge constitution bench is conducting a day-to-day hearing in the Ayodhya title dispute case.

Earlier on August 2, the top court had observed that the mediation panel on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute failed to achieve an amicable settlement and decided to hold day-to-day hearings in the decades-old case from August 6.

Fourteen appeals are pending before the apex court against the 2010 Allahabad High Court verdict which ordered equal division of the 2.77-acre disputed land in Ayodhya among the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.

The 16th-century Babri Masjid was demolished on December 6, 1992.