The significance of SC’s decision on Mosques not being integral part of Islam

New Delhi, Sep 26: The decision of the Supreme Court not to refer the question on whether a Mosque is relevant to Islam would some amount of bearing on the original title suit in the Ayodhya case.

For one, it would get the process started and after so many adjournments, the hearing in the original title suit would begin. The SC has said that the Ayodhya case will be heard by a three judge Bench from October 29 onwards.

On the legal side, today decision paves the way for the hearing to be held uninterrupted. This would mean that the verdict could come out by the start of 2019.

Had the Bench today decided to revisit the question and referred the matter to a larger Bench, then the hearing on the original title suit would have been delayed/

The Allahabad High Court had divided the land into three equal parts among three parties- Muslims, Hindus and Nirmohi Akara, which is Hindu group.

The Muslim appellants had challenged the HC verdict in the SC and argued that the judgment was unfair to them. They contended that the Faruqui judgment of 1994 was key in informing the 2010 division of land into three parts. The court today however made it clear that the 1994 judgment would have no bearing in the main case.

The Ram Temple issue is a political significant one. The BJP had committed that it would build the Ram Temple at Ayodhya ahead of the 2019 elections. This issue was also an important part of the manifesto of the BJP in 2014. It was also part of the manifesto of the party in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh elections.

The UP government had contended before the SC that some Muslim groups were trying to delay the hearing in the case by seeking a review of the 1994 contention. If the court decides to revisit the question, the hearing would be delayed beyond this year and it would be difficult for the BJP to keep up its promise on the construction of a Ram Temple.