NOVEMBER 6, 2019
NEW DELHI – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday cautioned his council of ministers from making unnecessary statements on the Ayodhya issue ahead of the Supreme Court’s verdict in the title suit, PTI reported. The apex court is likely to deliver its verdict on the issue before Chief Justice of India CJI Ranjan Gogoi retires on November 17.
At a meeting with his council of ministers, Modi asserted the need to maintain an atmosphere of amity and harmony in the country on the outcome of the verdict. He also emphasised that the verdict should not be seen through the prism of victory and defeat.
Modi had pitched a similar tone during his last edition of “Mann ki Baat” radio programme on October 27, giving the example of how the governments, political parties, civil society and religious groups had prevented attempts to disharmony when the Allahabad High Court had delivered its ruling in the case in 2010.
The ruling BJP has also asked its workers and media spokespersons to refrain from making provocative statements on the Ram temple issue. The party has also told its MPs to visit their constituencies for maintaining calm.
Ahead of the verdict, the BJP and RSS members met Muslim intellectuals and clerics at Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi’s residence Tuesday and stressed that whichever way the verdict goes, excessive celebration or mourning should be avoided.
“Meeting was very constructive & fruitful. Intellectuals, religious leaders, academicians from Muslim community expressed commitment to strengthen fabric of social harmony, brotherhood, unity under any circumstances & defeat forces who want to disturb harmony & peace,” Naqvi, the Union Minister of Minority Affairs, tweeted after the meeting.
A five-judge Constitution bench, led by the CJI, reserved its verdict in the Ayodhya land dispute case on October 16 after a marathon 40-day hearing.
Courtesy/Source: Indian Express
