Both the BJP and the Congress hailed the ruling of the Supreme Court that paved the way for the construction of a Ram Temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya and simultaneously the decision to allot an alternative five-acre plot for construction of a new mosque in the holy town in Uttar Pradesh. The Left parties, however, maintained that certain premises of the judgment were “questionable”.
BJP’s long-time-ally-turned-adversary Shiv Sena termed the court order a red letter day in Indian history and asked the ruling party not to take credit for it. But another NDA ally, the Janata Dal(U) welcomed the Supreme Court verdict and appealed to the people to respect the judgment.
Other political parties like BSP, RJD and RLSP expressed hope that the judgment will put an end to the politics being played by exploiting religious sentiments of people. UPA partner NCP said the apex court’s unanimous decision will help address a “serious concern” before the country.
Without commenting on the judgment, Trinamool Congress appealed to people to maintain peace in the State while the Left parties said that the verdict should not be seen as a victory for any litigant, though it had a critical view of the order.
The BJP said it was always committed to the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and played a “sincere and positive” role in the issue even as the Congress passed a resolution where it appealed to all parties concerned and all communities to “abide by the secular values and spirit of fraternity enshrined in the Constitution and to maintain peace and harmony”.
The CPI(M) in a statement said while the judgment has provided a judicial resolution to this fractious issue there are certain premises of the judgment which are “questionable”. The CPI said that the apex court has delivered a “reconciliatory judgment”.