Ravi Shankar Prasad questions Congress' stand on Ram Janmbhoomi case

Union Minister of Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday questioned the Congress Party's stand on the controversial Ram Janmbhoomi matter.

"I want to question the Congress Party and explain if it wants the Ram Janmbhoomi matter to be heard at the earliest or not," he asked.

Prasad's statement comes after it was announced that senior advocate and Congress leader Kapil Sibal, who is representing the Sunni Waqf Board in the ongoing hearing of the long-standing dispute, wanted the matter to be heard only in July 2019, after the completion of the next Lok Sabha polls citing political ramifications.

Speaking on the same, Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "As a lawyer, Kapil Sibal can argue any matter but he should not forget that he has been the law minister in the past."

Prasad also called Kapil's statement irresponsible and unfair.

Meanwhile, the Congress Party had, on Tuesday, furthered the war of words with the BJP and said it was raking up non-issues just to garner votes.

"Congress' stand has always been clear, that the Ayodhya matter will be heard and decided by the Supreme Court. The same has been said by the Law Minister many times. BJP chief Amit Shah is trying to garner votes in the name of Lord Rama. The BJP is playing the role of 'Manthara', raking up Kapil Sibal's stand on the hearing," Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said, while addressing the media.

The Supreme Court had fixed the next hearing for the long-standing matter for February 8, 2018.

The Supreme Court commenced the hearings in the Ayodhya dispute on Tuesday morning.

The stakeholders in the case had moved the apex court after the Allahabad HC directed the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and the Lord Ram Lalla to settle for a three-way division of the disputed site.

The Babri Masjid was built by Mughal emperor Babur in Ayodhya in 1528.

The Hindus, however, claim that a Ram temple that originally stood there was demolished to construct the mosque. Citing this, Hindu zealots demolished the mosque on December 6, 1992, triggering communal riots in various parts of the country.