Ayodhya Live Update: Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray Performs Puja In Ayodhya

Shiv Sena cadres on bank of Sarayu river in Ayodhya

The Muslim litigant in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit, Iqbal Ansari Saturday said he was satisfied with the security arrangements in Ayodhya ahead of the VHP 'Dharam Sabha', but questioned the intention of the leaders in bringing such large crowds to the town.

"If anyone has any issue on the matter of temple-mosque, he/she should go to Delhi and Lucknow to express their views," Mr Ansari who succeeded his father late Hashim Ansari as the main litigant in the case said.

"They can gherao the (Uttar Pradesh) Vidhan Sabha or Parliament if they want but leave the people of Ayodhya in peace," added Mr Ansari as he cast aspersions on the intentions of those encouraging people to gather at the temple town and "posing problems" for the locals.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has left for Lakshman Kila in Ayodhya. He is on a two-day visit to the Uttar Pradesh town. The Shiv Sena will hold an event in the city tomorrow.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray arrives in Ayodhya. Mr Thackeray, his wife Rashmi and son Aditya will offer prayers on the banks of the Sarayu river in the evening. Some 3,000 Shiv Sena supporters are coming to Ayodhya in two trains from Maharashtra, people familiar with the matter said.

Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray accompanied by his wife Rashmi and son Aditya, have left for Ayodhya. The Shiv Sena chief will hold a prayer ceremony and meet saints, seers and locals in Ayodhya. Shiv Sena has been demanding the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Here is a chronology of events in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case in which the Supreme Court recently declined to refer the issue of reconsideration of its observation that mosque was not integral to Islam, to a larger bench:

1528: Babri Masjid built by Mir Baqi, commander of Mughal invader and emperor Babur. The mosque, which was built on Babur's orders, was also named after him. Hindu groups say it was built after demolishing the Ram temple which used to be there at Lord Ram's birthplace (Ram Janmabhoomi). Ayodhya has been a place of religious importance for Hindus as it is considered the birthplace of Lord Ram.

1859: The British administration put a fence around the site marking separate areas of worship for Hindus and Muslims, and it stood that way for nearly 90 years.

1885: Mahant Raghubir Das files plea in Faizabad district court seeking permission to build a canopy outside the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid structure. Court rejects plea.

1949: Idols of Ram Lalla placed under a central dome at the disputed site.

1950: Gopal Simla Visharad files suit in Faizabad district court for rights to worship the idols of Ram Lalla.

1959: Nirmohi Akhara files suit seeking possession of the site.

1981: UP Sunni Central Waqf Board files suit for possession of the site.

1984: Hindu groups formed a committee to spearhead the construction of a Ram temple.

Feb 1, 1986: Local court orders the government to open the site for Hindu worshipers.

1986: Babri Mosque Action Committee was formed by Muslim groups.

Aug 14, 1989: Allahabad High Court ordered maintenance of status quo in respect of the disputed structure.

1989: Foundations of a temple were laid on land adjacent to the "disputed structure".

Dec 6, 1992: Babri Masjid structure demolished by Kar Sevaks. Ten days after the demolition, the Liberhan Commission was set to investigate the incident.

Apr 3, 1993: 'Acquisition of Certain Area at Ayodhya Act' passed for acquisition of land by Centre in the disputed area.

1993: Various writ petitions, including one by Ismail Faruqui, filed at Allahabad HC challenging various aspects of the Act.

Oct 24, 1994: Supreme Court, in the historic Ismail Faruqui case, observed that a mosque was not integral to Islam.

Apr 2002: Allahabad High Court begins hearing on determining who owns the disputed site.

Mar 13, 2003: Supreme Court says, in the Aslam alias Bhure case, no religious activity of any nature be allowed at the acquired land.

Mar 14, 2003: Supreme Court says interim order passed should be operative till disposal of the civil suits in Allahabad High Court to maintain communal harmony.

Sept 2010: High Court, in a 2:1 majority, rules three-way division of disputed area between Ram Lalla, Nirmohi Akhara and Sunni Waqf Board.

May 9, 2011: Supreme Court stays High Court verdict on Ayodhya land dispute.

Feb 26, 2016: BJP's Subramanian Swamy files plea in Supreme Court seeking construction of Ram Temple at the disputed site.

Mar 21, 2017: Then Chief Justice of India JS Khehar suggests out-of-court settlement among rival parties.

Aug 7, 2017: Supreme Court constitutes three-judge bench to hear pleas challenging the verdict of the Allahabad High Court.

Aug 8, 2017: UP Shia Central Waqf Board tells Supreme Court mosque could be built in a Muslim-dominated area at a reasonable distance from the disputed site.

Sept 11, 2017: Supreme Court directs Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court to nominate two additional district judges within ten days as observers to deal with the upkeep of the disputed site.

Nov 20, 2011: UP Shia Central Waqf Board suggests the Supreme Court that a Ram temple can be built in Ayodhya and a mosque can be built in Lucknow.

Dec 1, 2017: Thirty-two civil rights activists file plea challenging the 2010 verdict of the Allahabad High Court.

Feb 8, 2018: Supreme Court starts hearing the civil appeals.

Mar 14, 2018: Supreme Court rejects all interim pleas, including Subramanian Swamy's, seeking to intervene as parties in the case.

Apr 6, 2018: Rajeev Dhavan files plea in Supreme Court to refer the issue of reconsideration of the observations in its 1994 judgement to a larger bench.

Jul 6, 2018: UP government tells Supreme Court some Muslim groups were trying to delay the hearing by seeking reconsideration of an observation in the 1994 verdict.

Jul 20, 2018: Supreme Court says that it reserves the verdict.

Sept 27, 2018: Supreme Court declines to refer the case to a five-judge Constitution bench. Says that the case will be heard by a newly constituted three-judge bench on October 29, which will give the verdict after final hearings.

Oct 29, 2018: Due to "other priorities", Supreme Court pushes the hearing forward to January 2019.

It has been more than 70 years since the first court case was filed in the Ayodhya dispute. The dispute that has dominated the country's political discourse has seen many twists and turns. The matter has been pending since 2010, when the top court stayed the verdict of the Allahabad High Court. The High Court had said Lord Ram was born under the central dome of the makeshift temple in Ayodhya and Hindus have the right to worship there.

11)  In its 2017 UP election manifesto, the BJP said it "will explore all possibilities within the purview of the Constitution to construct a Ram Mandir in Ayodhya". The BJP returned to power in UP after 15 years, and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath asked his officials to begin work on implementation of the poll promise.

Congress leader Raj Babbar said on Thursday his party was never opposed to the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya and he now felt that even the Muslim community wanted it."

BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday reiterated that his party was committed to building a Ram temple in Ayodhya and it would not change its stand."

A Muslim litigant in the Ayodhya dispute said he has no problems if the Ram temple is built by bypassing the Supreme Court and bringing in an ordinance."

From top to several mid-level police officers, 160 inspectors, 700 constables, 42 companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), five companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF), Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) commandos and drone cameras have been deployed in Ayodhya. There is a CRPF ring around the disputed site, the government has assured.

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has urged the Supreme Court to send the army, if necessary, to keep the situation under control.

"The BJP doesn't believe in either the Supreme Court or the Constitution. The party can go to any extent. The kind of environment there is in UP, especially in Ayodhya, the Supreme Court should take notice of it and send the army if necessary," alleged Akhilesh Yadav, chief of the Samajwadi Party.

One such event led to a clash in eastern Uttar Pradesh's Mirzapur. "There was a minor dispute during a Ram-Janaki bike yatra by the VHP through minority-populated areas and some tension in Kanpur, but in both the cases, there was no loss of life or major destruction.

But the events have been enough for Muslim litigants in the Ayodhya title suit to ask for security. Our houses were burnt down in 1992 (during the demolition of the Babri Masjid)," said Iqbal Ansari, one of the main litigants in the Ayodhya land dispute case. "If a crowd pours in here, like in 1992, the Muslims of Ayodhya and I should be given protection. If my security is not heightened, I'll leave the city before November 25," he told NDTV's Alok Pandey.

But the VHP claimed that Ram bhakts are always in control. "These are disciplined people, always in control. They only need direction and that will come from our saints. This is a religious programme," said Sharad Sharma, spokesperson of the VHP.

The bigger event in Ayodhya though is a "dharma sansad" being organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Sunday.

The Vishva Hindu Parishad has been mobilising support for its big event through bike rallies and processions across UP in the last few days.