Resolve Ram Temple dispute outside court: SC to Swamy

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked both parties to the Ayodhya Ram Temple dispute to sort out the matter outside court.

Chief Justice of India JS Khehar said that the issue is ‘a matter of sentiment and religion’, and added that the apex court would intervene only if the parties to the case could not solve it. He asked the parties to 'sit together and arrive at a consensus'.

Khehar said that if negotiations break down, the apex court would appoint a mediator.

The court was responding to BJP leader Subramanian Swamy's plea seeking urgent hearing of the case, which has been pending since 6 years.

The court instead asked him to sort out the issue through negotiations agreed upon by all petitioners.

In response, Swamy said it is difficult to make both communities sit together and only judicial intervention is needed. However, the Supreme Court asked Swamy to mention the issue in the court on March 31.

In 2010, the court had put a freeze on a judgment by the Allahabad High Court that Lord Ram was born under the central dome of the makeshift temple in Ayodhya, and hence Hindus have the right to worship there.

The makeshift temple was built after Kar Sevaks pulled down the Babri Masjid that had been standing there since 1527. The site is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram.