Babari mediation: Sangh parivar campaign exposed in SC

New Delhi: Sangh parivar, who were in a relentless effort to end the case outside the court through backdoor moves,  came out with opposition when the Supreme Court came forward for mediation.  Uttar Pradesh's BJP government and cousel of Ram Lalla, a respondent in the case took the stance against mediation on Tuesday when it was suggested by the bench.  Hence, Sangh parivar's earlier allegation that it was ready for mediation and Muslim bodies were against,  it stands exposed now.

Meanwhile, Nirmohi Agada, which is not under the control of Sangh parivar but a respondent against Sunni Waqf Board, supported SC's mediation. Subramanian Swami and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar had initiated steps for similar out of court mediation.

When the case was being considered by former CJI JS Khehar, Subramanian Swami, who was not even party to  the case,  pleaded for mediation and requested deferment of  the case till then. The plea was allowed. However, when the court took up the case again, counsel of Sunni Waqf Board submitted that Swami, who was not even party to  the case, had misled the court. The court expressed its displeasure over Swami's act and said that the allowed plea was set aside.

Later, Sri Sri Ravishankar met a Muslim scholar, who is not a respondent in the case, in Uttar Pradesh and tried for a backdoor mediation. Sunni Waqf Board did not rejected the move as coming from sangh parivar.

However, on Tuesday, when the SC asked if it would not be better that the case be settled through mediation under the court's supervision, Sangh parivar shifted its stance. Their counsel openly said that they were not for mediation.  Justice Ranjan Gagoi and Justice SA Bobde reiterated that the case was not considered as a private land dispute alone but also as a matter related to religious belief.  The mediation efforts shall be in a secret manner and the discussions shall not be shared with the media, the court continued. 

Sunni Waqf Board agreed with the suggestion and said althouh there were attempts earlier it was now ready for it as the court was supervising,.   This stance made lie of sangh parivar's allegation that the Muslim body was not ready for a mediation.

SQR Illyas - the Babri Masjid action committee leader and Welfare Party national president, who was present at the trial, informed that the Muslim body accepted the mediation effort as it believed that the SC's supervision would make the mediation effort transparent and unbiased.