The apex court had last year disallowed BJP leader Subramanian Swamy from intervening in the Ayodhya land dispute case. It said only the parties to original lawsuits would be allowed to argue. The bench has now considered Swamy’s submission that he had not sought to intervene in the matter but had filed a separate writ petition seeking enforcement of his fundamental right to worship at the birthplace of Lord Rama in Ayodhya.
New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy moved the Supreme Court on Monday for an urgent listing of his plea seeking enforcement of his fundamental right to worship at the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi site in Ayodhya.
Swamy, while mentioning the matter for urgent listing, told the bench that his plea should be heard separately.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna asked Swamy to be in the court on Tuesday when the Ayodhya matter is due to be taken up. The CJI said, “You be present here tomorrow. We will see.”
A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court will take up the title dispute issue on February 26.
“According to the Constitution, I have the fundamental right to offer prayer there because faith says that Ram was born there. Faith cannot be questioned by a Supreme Court or the Constitution,” said Swamy.
“I want that Court should decide about my fundamental right to offer prayer there. If it is decided then the government must provide my right to me. Rights of other parties pertain only to the right to property and compensation. Right to faith comes before these rights,” said Swamy.
The apex court had last year disallowed Swamy from intervening in the Ayodhya land dispute case. It said only the parties to original lawsuits would be allowed to argue.
The bench has now considered Swamy’s submission that he had not sought to intervene in the matter but had filed a separate writ petition seeking enforcement of his fundamental right to worship at the birthplace of Lord Rama in Ayodhya.
On Monday, Swamy sought an urgent listing of his plea for the enforcement of his fundamental right to worship. The top court will hear the politically sensitive Ayodhya’s Ram-Janmabhoomi Babri Masjid land dispute matter on February 26.
Last Updated Feb 25, 2019, 6:41 PM IST