The Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer on Friday (July 20) completed its hearing on the Ayodhya land case can reserved its judgment on the issue of handing the case over to a larger bench as has been demanded by counsels.

Arguments today concentrated on details. One advocate asked senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan why he was terming Hindus as Talibanis. To this Dhavan said: “I stand by my statement.”

The court reminded Dhavan “you have to use appropriate language.”

At this Dhavan said: “I disagree with the court’s observation and this doesn’t amount any contempt, because it is my right to disagree.”

The court said: “you start your argument.”

Dhawan said: “Ok.”

He referred to the Mathura Prasad judgment and also to the Gopa Prasad case. He said: “Our’s is a question of pure law and facts on actual materials.” Then he read the high court judgment on Ayodhya matter.

He said: “I have only concern. In the jurisprudence of the court, who has the fundamental right to preach under article 25? The statement of paragraph 51 of the judgment is not in the context, because you cannot compare the two. It s about the destruction of mosque that was built in 1915.”

He said India is the third largest country in respect to Muslim population. He said that minorities in India are protected by the constitution. Then he read the Justice Parasaran judgment passed by this court.”

Following this, the court reserved its judgment on the possibility of taking this to a larger bench.

—India Legal Bureau