Supreme Court refuses to hear plea on naming structures after Babur

The Supreme Court refused to entertain a plea seeking to restrain the naming of mosques and religious structures after Mughal emperor Babur or Babri Masjid. The petitioner withdrew the plea after the court expressed its disinclination to hear the matter

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea seeking a direction to restrain the construction, establishment or naming of any mosque or religious structure in the name of Mughal emperor Babur or Babri Masjid.

After a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta showed its disinclination to entertain the plea, the counsel appearing for the petitioner withdrew it.

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“Dismissed as withdrawn,” the bench said.

The counsel appearing for the petitioner referred to suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir’s announcement to construct a replica of the Babri Masjid in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district.

He said the petitioner was against the construction of mosques in the name of “invaders” in the country.

The counsel said Kabir had “announced the construction of Babri Masjid in Murshidabad despite the fact that Babur was an invader”, and some action should be taken against him.

He argued that the Centre and state authorities should be directed to restrain the construction of any monument or mosque in the name of Babur.

After the bench said it was dismissing the petition, the counsel sought its permission to withdraw the plea.

The plea sought a direction to the Centre, states and others to consider the petitioner’s case for restraining or banning the construction, establishment or naming of any mosque or religious structure in the name of Babur or Babri Masjid or any other derivative names across India.

It also sought a direction to the authorities to consider framing appropriate guidelines or issuing circulars and administrative orders for banning the construction of any mosque or religious structure in the name of Babri Masjid, Babur or any such person who invaded India.

A five-judge bench of the apex court had delivered a landmark verdict in November 2019 in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case.

The top court had cleared the way for the construction of a Ram Temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, and directed the Centre to allot a five-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a mosque.