NEW DELHI – India’s apex court had in November 2019 had settled a centuryold, fiercely fought land dispute between Hindus and Muslims in Ayodhya, innorthern Uttar Pradesh. While the court allowed Hindus to retain thedisputed land, it had asked the government to allot an appropriate land forMuslims to build a mosque.
India’s federal government on Wednesday announced that it would create agroup responsible for building a temple dedicated to Rama, as mandated bythe Supreme Court of India. The deity is hugely revered by the nation’sHindus.
“As per the orders of the Supreme Court, we have readied a scheme for thedevelopment of a Rama Temple in Ayodhya. A trust named ‘Sri Ram JanambhoomiTirath Kshetra’ has been formed,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said inparliament on Wednesday; his words were met with loud cheers andtable-thumping in agreement.
Hindus had claimed a plot of land as the birthplace of Lord Rama, which hadbeen the site of a mosque built by a Mughal king until it was torn down byreligious fanatics in 1992.
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Modi also announced that the government of Uttar Pradesh has given approvalto allot a 5-acre plot of land to a Muslim body, the Sunni Waqf Board, forthe construction of a replacement mosque, in accordance with the ruling ofIndia’s highest court. He added that the trust would be an independent bodytasked with decisions concerning the construction of the temple in Ayodhya.-Sputnik
