'Out of court settlement' not a final conclusive view: Khurshid

Asserting that the Chief Justice's statement on the Ram Temple issue was a general and a well meaning suggestion and not a final conclusive view, senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Wednesday said that he is not sure whether a solution can be churned out on the basis of out of court settlement.

Khurshid, while speaking with ANI, said he was present in the court at the time of hearing and believes that the 'out of court settlement' idea was a very informal suggestion that was made by the Chief Justice of India and that the view of the apex court has been exaggerated a bit.

"I was present in the court when it happened. It was a very informal suggestion that was made by the Chief justice when he was requested by Mr. Subramanian Swamy for the listing of the Babri Masjid case. Chief Justice said that these are issues of emotional nature and all parties should come together and find a solution and if you need help form anybody even a sitting judge that can be made available. So I don't think that it was a final conclusive view, I think it was a general and a well meaning suggestion that most people make," said Khurshid.

"I am not sure whether we have come too far away from the possibility of a settlement where everyone can come together and with an open mind look for a possible solution," he added.

The apex court yesterday said the Ayodhya dispute is a sensitive and sentimental issue, adding its best that this matter was settled amicably.

The court asked parties concerned to sit together to arrive at a consensus and asked Swamy to consult the parties and inform it about the decision on March 31.

The court also suggested if required, a principal mediator can be chosen by the court for settling the issue. Chief Justice J.S. Khehar said if the parties want him to mediate then he is ready for the task.