The mediation process in the Ayodhya temple-mosque case has failed, the Supreme Court said today. The top court has ordered daily hearing will begin from August 6 in the decades-old dispute. "We got the report and perused. Mediation didn't result in any kind of settlement. So we have to commence hearing from August 6," Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi.
Sources had earlier said that the three-member panel appointed by the Supreme Court to consult with various groups and discuss a solution to the dispute "did its best to arrive at a consensus" but "some parties" did not agree to the mediation.
The Supreme Court had given the panel, which was set up in March this year, time till Thursday to submit its report.
A five-judge Constitution bench headed by the Chief Justice had, on July 11, sought an update on the mediation and said they could start day-to-day hearings from July 25 if there was no merit in continuing the process. The panel had been granted time till August 15 but the court, acting on the request of one of the litigants, said it would decide whether mediation should continue.
The top court had last year referred the decades-old dispute for mediation and set up the panel. The panel has been tasked by the court to hold consultations to explore a potential avenue for an amicable settlement. The other two members of the panel are spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and senior advocate Sriram Panchu.
The dispute involves the site in Ayodhya where the 16th-century Babri mosque stood before it was razed in 1992 by Hindu activists who believe that it was built on the ruins of an ancient temple marking the birthplace of Lord Ram. In riots following the mosque demolition, 2,000 people died across the country.
Here are the highlights on Supreme Court hearing on Ayodhya case:
Ayodhya Case: Mediation Fails. Daily Hearing From August 6, Says Supreme Court
