Courts have recognised limited access of Hindus: Waqf Board

NEW DELHI: The Sunni Central Wakf Board on Friday argued in the Supreme Court that the Ayodhya case had already attained finality as courts have earlier recognised only limited access of the Hindus to the Ayodhya disputed site and maintained status quo for over hundreds of years, but the court seemed to prima facie reject the submission.

Any attempt by the top court to reopen the issue or change status quo would set a wrong precedent, senior advocate Shekhar Naphade argued before a five-judge bench led by CJI Ranjan Gogoi.

Courts have recognised that Hindus have only limited access to the Ram Chabutra where the Hindus have historically offered prayers as the birthplace of Lord Rama.


They have been trying to get control over the rest of the area in vain, he said, adding they have made a consistent approach to encroach. The issue was first agitated in 1885 by Mahant Raghubar Das. The Nirmohi Akhara again tried in 1961.

All these were representative suits on behalf of the Hindus, he argued. As a consequence, these issues ought to be now treated as having attained legal finality.

Should the court ignore the principle of res judicata or principle of a case attaining finality with a court order, hundreds of such cases will be reopened, he warned.