‘Temple built, brotherhood prevails in Ayodhya’, says former Babri Masjid litigant Iqbal Ansari

Former Babri Masjid litigant Iqbal Ansari says peace and brotherhood prevail in Ayodhya after the 2019 Supreme Court verdict. As UP remains on high alert on the demolition anniversary, he highlights the city’s development and acceptance of the Ram temple ruling.

New Delhi: Former litigant in the Babri Masjid case, Iqbal Ansari, said on Saturday that peace and communal harmony now define Ayodhya, nearly three decades after the demolition of the Babri Masjid.

Speaking to IANS, he said, “Temple built, brotherhood prevails in Ayodhya,” highlighting the development and coexistence in the city.

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Speaking about the aftermath of the Supreme Court verdict in 2019, Ansari said, “Muslims across the country respected the decision. Today, there is peace in Ayodhya. There is no dispute between Hindus and Muslims, no protests, and no unrest. Ayodhya is a religious place and there is brotherhood here. The temple is built, and every Muslim accepted this decision unitedly. We want our nation to grow, work should be worshipped, and there should be peace in our nation.”

Ansari also reflected on the city’s transformation since the verdict. “Ayodhya now has an airport, a railway station, a bus station, good roads, ponds, and parks. There are more employment opportunities, and the city has progressed significantly,” he said.

Security was significantly heightened across Uttar Pradesh on the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992.

Ayodhya and Mathura, two of the state’s most sensitive locations, are on the highest alert. Police forces are maintaining strict vigilance with multi-layered security arrangements, including barricades, CCTV monitoring, and drone surveillance.

In Mathura, the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi complex and Shahi Eidgah Mosque are under tight security, divided into zones and super zones for systematic monitoring. Vrindavan’s Banke Bihari Temple, Prem Mandir, and other prominent temples are similarly under heightened surveillance, with plainclothes officers and units of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and Rapid Action Force (RAF) on standby.

December 6 remains a sensitive date in India’s communal calendar, observed as ‘Shaurya Diwas’ by certain Hindu groups and as ‘Black Day’ by several Muslim organisations. Authorities have stepped up preventive measures to ensure peace and harmony.

The Babri Masjid-Ram Mandir dispute reached a major turning point on November 9, 2019, when the Supreme Court awarded the disputed land to Ram Lalla Virajman and directed the allocation of five acres to the Sunni Waqf Board.

The foundation of the Ram temple was laid on August 5, 2020, and as of November 25, 2025, the temple has been fully completed with the saffron Dharma Dhwaj raised atop its spire by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.