Travesty of Justice that secularism not given its due in Ayodhya Verdict: former SC Judge Nariman

Justice R.F. Nariman. File
| Photo Credit: Sandeep Saxena

Former Supreme Court Judge Justice R.F. Nariman has criticised the Supreme Court’s 2019 Judgment in the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case, describing it as a “great travesty of Justice” that did not do justice to the principle of secularism.

Speaking at the First Justice A.M. Ahmadi Memorial Lecture on ‘Secularism and the Indian Constitution’, Justice Nariman, however, said the judgment had a “silver lining” as it upheld the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act 1991. He said the Places of Worship Act should be strictly implemented to put an end to disputes over religious places which are popping up every day across the country like “hydra heads”.

“In my opinion, a great travesty of justice was that secularism was not given its due by these judgments,” Justice Nariman said. Justice Nariman also disagreed with the reasoning given by the court to grant the disputed land despite holding that the demolition of the mosque was illegal.

“Today we find hydra heads popping all over the country. We find suits after suits not only against mosques but also against dargahs. All this, according to me could lead to communal disharmony. The only way to scorch and cauterize all this is by applying these five pages in this very judgment and having it read out in every District Court and High Court. Because these five pages are a declaration by the Supreme Court which binds each of them,” he said.

The former Supreme Court Judge also pointed out how a special (Central Bureau of Investigation) CBI judge — Surendra Yadav — who acquitted all the accused in the mosque demolition case, got a post-retirement job as Deputy Lokayukta in Uttar Pradesh. “This is the state of affairs in this country,” he said.