SC to decide on early hearing of Ayodhya site

The Supreme Court on Friday said it will decide on a plea for an early hearing of appeals challenging the Allahabad High Court order directing the splitting of the disputed site at Ayodhya.

"We will take a decision on it," said a bench of Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud as BJP Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy sought early hearing of the matter pending before the court for seven years.

The Allahabad High Court had in 2010 directed that the Ayodhya site, where the Babri Masjid once stood, be split between Nirmohi Akhara, the Waqf Board and the Ramlala, who were all claimants.

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court by its September 30, 2010, verdict ordered that the land around the disputed site would be divided into three parts -- one for deity (Ramlala Virajmaan), another for Nirmohi Akhara -- a Hindu sect and an original litigant in the case and third for the Muslims.

The Supreme Court had put the Allahabad High court verdict on hold on May 9, 2011, describing it as a "rare judgment whose operation has to be stayed".

--IANS

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