The Supreme Court saw the Ayodhya issue taking centre stage for the second consecutive day as counsel for the Nirmohi Akhara one of the parties in the case, continuing arguments before a five judge constitution bench.

Yesterday, as the hearings began, the Nirmohi Akhara had  made a strong pitch for control and management of the entire disputed 2.77-acre land, saying Muslims had not been allowed to enter the place since 1934, agencies reported. The apex court had put a lot of querries on limitation and the Nimrohi Akhara is currently answering these. Its lawyer says Akhara’s suit was filed in 1959, four years after the attachment orders were issued in relation to properties in their possession. He also says Sunni Waqf Board’s suit was filed in 1961.

The matter came  before a five judge bench compising of the CJI Ranjan Gogoi, Justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and SA Nazeer after the apex court last week took note of the report of the three-member mediation panel, headed by former top court judge FMI Kalifulla, that the mediation proceedings, which went on for about four months, have not resulted in any final settlement.

–India Legal Bureau