India cannot be treated as 'monolithic entity', Muslim parties to Ayodhya land dispute tell SC

A lawyer for the Muslim parties to the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute told the Supreme Court on Monday that India could not be treated as a "monolithic entity" and the Indian society was more complex than Europe.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, which was hearing the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case for the 38th day, asked senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, appearing for the Muslim parties, not to quote Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen to say something which was not connected to the case.

"Please do not refer to all this," the bench, also comprising justices S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S A Nazeer, said.

Dhavan referred to Sen to say that India could not be treated as a "monolithic entity" and submitted that in West Bengal, Lord Ram was not worshipped.

Dhavan's statement that "Aurangzeb was one of the most liberal rulers" created a flutter in the courtroom.