Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan appearing for Muslim parties told a five-judge bench that he was concerned due to the comments that came from UP Minister Mukut Bihari Verma
The Muslim side to the Ayodhya title suit complained to the Supreme Court that a clerk appearing for a senior lawyer arguing their case was heckled and threatened to withdraw from the case while a sitting Minister in the Uttar Pradesh government issued a statement two days ago claiming that the Supreme Court is "ours" predicting a clear win for Hindus in the ongoing legal battle.
At the opening of arguments of Day 22 in the suit, senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan appearing for Muslim parties told a five-judge bench that he was concerned due to the comments that came from UP Minister Mukut Bihari Verma. At a public gathering in Bahraich district of UP, the State Cooperatives Minister told mediapersons, "The construction of Ram Temple at Ayodhya is our resolve. The Supreme Court is ours. The judiciary, this country and the temple (are) ours too."
Although later the Minister clarified that by referring to SC as "ours" he meant residents of this country. But the statement invited sharp criticism from the Court. The bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer said, "We deprecate such statements. This should not happen in the country. Both sides are free to put up their arguments without any fear."
Dhavan spoke about the recent assault on his clerk. He said, few clerks working with lawyers practicing in the Supreme Court confronted him and abused him for appearing in the case despite being a Hindu. "This led to verbal abuses and fistcuffs," Dhavan said. A concerned Court asked Dhavan, "Do you need security?" Dhavan said he was fine without it and hoped that the statement by the Court would assure the Muslims in getting justice from the Court.
Interestingly, the clerk who was allegedly assaulted later spoke to DNA and denied of being roughed up or assaulted. Speaking to DNA, the clerks who works with Dhavan said, "What actually happened was a heated exchange of words but no fistcuffs. It was a light banter which ended up in some abuses hurled by two clerks who confronted me for appearing in this case."
As Dhavan continued his arguments he told the Court that he was not interested in filing yet another contempt petition as one is already pending against an octogenarian retired government employee who cursed Dhavan of severe "physical" ailments if he assisted the Muslim side in this case.
The bench continued with the arguments with Dhavan claiming that the Muslims' claim to the 2.77 acre disputed land stands as they were stopped from entering the mosque structure by "miscreants". According to him this was an illegality created by the Hindu side. Even if they were not complicit with the so-called miscreants who obstructed Muslims from entering and offering prayers, this argument could not be relied on by the opposite side to suggest Muslims abandoned the mosque. The arguments will continue on Friday.
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