Hindu Mahasabha opposes restart of Ayodhya mediation

Lucknow: A day after the Supreme Court-appointed mediation panel headed by former Supreme Court judge F M I Kalifulla moved the apex court, seeking its view on a request for resumption of talks for settlement of the Ayodhya dispute, Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Mahasabha, key litigant in the case, termed the move as a “conspiracy” to delay the Ram temple.

Nirmohi Akhara too opposed the move to go back to the mediation table.

National president of Hindu Mahasabha Chakrapani Maharaj said it was a conspiracy and a delaying tactic when the apex court was on the verge of declaring the verdict. “The Hindu Mahasaba would launch a statewide agitation to oppose the decision,” Chakrapani said.

Mahasabha national spokesperson Narendra Srivastava said it would mobilize seers from across the country to reach Ayodhya if the verdict was not delivered soon. “Mediation was deliberately failed and now they want to restart talks. This would only delay temple construction,” he told TOI on Tuesday.

The Nirmohi Akhara, one of the litigants in the title suit, too opposed the move. “The matter is being taken up by Supreme Court and now going back to mediation won’t be the right decision,’’ chief of Nirmohi Akhara, Mahant Dinendra Das told TOI.

The Justice Kalifulla panel, which comprised renowned mediator and senior advocate Sriram Panchu and spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar moved a memorandum in SC, requesting it to be placed before the Chief Justice of India, which started day-to-day hearing on appeals in the vexed Ayodhya case.