Excess land around disputed site in Ayodhya not part of case: BJP

BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav said on Friday the government would abide by the Supreme Court verdict on the Ayodhya issue and asserted that the land the Centre wants to return to its original owners wasn't part of the case.

"The Ram Mandir issue is before the Supreme Court. It is taking up (hearing) on February 26. The land is not part of the case at all. It is outside the case. The issue is under active consideration of the Supreme Court," he told reporters here.

"Whatever directive the Supreme Court gives to the government, it will certainly be taken forward," Madhav said on the sidelines of a programme at the Indian School of Business here.

The central government had, on January 29, moved the apex court seeking its nod to return the 67-acre undisputed acquired land around the disputed site to original owners.

The 0.313-acre plot, on which the disputed structure stood before it was demolished by 'kar sevaks' on December 6, 1992, was within the 2.77-acre disputed premises, the plea filed by the BJP-led NDA government had said.