Sibal delaying Ram temple case in SC to avoid Congress' loss in 2019: Swamy

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Wednesday castigated Congress leader and lawyer Kapil Sibal saying that the latter tried to give Ram temple case a political angle in the court.

"He (Sibal) just gave his arguments on the political level, as they will lose the elections if they lose this case," Swamy told ANI.

Swamy further said that the hearing for Babri Masjid-Ram Janmbhoomi had begun where both parties had to put their positions before court, but Kapil Sibal said that the court cannot proceed since they have not received all the documents.

Swamy further averred that Sibal's side hadn't filed their documents, where as his side is done with the formalities.

"Kapil Sibal presented the view that this judgment would affect 2019 elections, which is why the verdict should be delayed till then. He tried to give political limelight to the case. They put many efforts to delay the hearing of the case," he said.

Swamy confidently said that they would win the case whose hearing has been shifted to February 8, 2018. "The court decided to hear the arguments on February 8. The hearing will be based on documents so we shall win easily."

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court fixed the next hearing for the long-standing Ayodhya dispute matter for February 8, 2018.

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

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who is representing the Sunni Waqf Board, read out in the apex court the details of exhibits filed by the contesting defendants before the Allahabad High Court.

Sibal told the three-judge bench of the court that all the exhibits were not filed before this court.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Tushar Mehta, representing the state of Uttar Pradesh rebutted the averments of Kapil Sibal. The ASG also told the Supreme Court that all the related documents and requisite translation copies were on record.

According to reports, the top court was hearing a total of 13 appeals filed against the 2010 judgement of the Allahabad High Court in four civil suits.

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 06, 1992, triggering communal riots in various parts of the country.