Ayodhya land dispute: SC declines to hear plea on live streaming of day-to-day proceedings

Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear a petition filed by former RSS idealogue KN Govindacharya who had sought live streaming or recording of the day-to-day hearing in the Ayodhya land dispute case.

Yesterday, a bench headed by SA Bobde had observed that the court does not have the equipment to facilitate the live streaming, adding that the matter will be considered on the administrative side.

The apex court said that the decision on the plea would require deliberation and institutional decision-making.

Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing on behalf of Govindacharya, had submitted that for the time being, at least the recording of proceedings can be done and at the later stage, live streaming could be considered.

Govindacharya, in his petition, asserted that the public is being denied their rights under Article 21 of the Constitution.

The live streaming of the Ayodhya case is required considering the fact that in the absence of live streaming of proceedings of this Court, the public is also being denied their right to know as per Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, the plea, filed through advocate Virag Gupta, stated.

The Supreme Court had on August 2 observed that the mediation panel on Ayodhya matter, failed to achieve any final settlement in the matter and decided to hold a day-to-day hearing in the 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.