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Ayodhya dispute: Indian Supreme Court due to rule on holy site | Ayodhya dispute: Indian Supreme Court due to rule on holy site |
(about 1 hour later) | |
India's Supreme Court is due to make a long-awaited ruling on a disputed religious site in the northern holy city of Ayodhya. | India's Supreme Court is due to make a long-awaited ruling on a disputed religious site in the northern holy city of Ayodhya. |
Officials have appealed for calm, and thousands of police and paramilitary troops have been deployed in the city in Uttar Pradesh state. | |
Hundreds of people were detained on Friday amid fears of violence. | Hundreds of people were detained on Friday amid fears of violence. |
Hindus and Muslims have for decades been bitterly divided over the 16th Century Babri mosque in Ayodhya. | |
The court case centres on the ownership of the land and has been dragging on in the Supreme Court for years. | The court case centres on the ownership of the land and has been dragging on in the Supreme Court for years. |
Hindus believe that the site of the mosque is the birthplace of one of their most revered deities, Lord Ram, and they want to build a temple there. Muslims, however, say they have worshipped there for generations. | |
The decision is due on Saturday at about 10:30 local time (05:00 GMT). | |
Schools and colleges in the area have been closed and all roads leading to the site have been blocked by police. | |
Provincial police chief Om Prakash Singh told Reuters news agency that social media platforms were being monitored for inflammatory posts ahead of the verdict. | Provincial police chief Om Prakash Singh told Reuters news agency that social media platforms were being monitored for inflammatory posts ahead of the verdict. |
"We will not tolerate Hindus or Muslims publicly displaying their reaction to the court verdict," he said. | "We will not tolerate Hindus or Muslims publicly displaying their reaction to the court verdict," he said. |
Government departments say they have also made preparations to deal with any violence. | Government departments say they have also made preparations to deal with any violence. |
"Each and every security officer is committed to prevent minor skirmishes or large-scale riots after the court delivers its verdict," said one senior home ministry official, who declined to be named. | "Each and every security officer is committed to prevent minor skirmishes or large-scale riots after the court delivers its verdict," said one senior home ministry official, who declined to be named. |
"State governments have identified several schools to set up temporary jails if the need arises." | "State governments have identified several schools to set up temporary jails if the need arises." |
On Twitter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed for calm and urged everyone to respect the verdict. | |
"Whatever the verdict... it won't be anybody's win or loss," he said. | |
"My appeal to the people of India is that our priority is to ensure the verdict strengthens the values of peace, equality and goodwill of our country." | |
Police said on Friday that more than 500 people had been detained in the run-up to the verdict and most were being kept in custody. | |
What is the dispute about? | What is the dispute about? |
At the centre of the row is the 16th Century mosque that was demolished by Hindu mobs in 1992, sparking riots that killed nearly 2,000 people. | At the centre of the row is the 16th Century mosque that was demolished by Hindu mobs in 1992, sparking riots that killed nearly 2,000 people. |
Many Hindus believe that the Babri Masjid was constructed on the ruins of a Hindu temple that was demolished by Muslim invaders. | Many Hindus believe that the Babri Masjid was constructed on the ruins of a Hindu temple that was demolished by Muslim invaders. |
Muslims say they offered prayers at the mosque until December 1949 when some Hindus placed an idol of Ram in the mosque and began to worship the idols. | Muslims say they offered prayers at the mosque until December 1949 when some Hindus placed an idol of Ram in the mosque and began to worship the idols. |
Over the decades since, the two religious groups have gone to court many times over who should control the site. | Over the decades since, the two religious groups have gone to court many times over who should control the site. |
Since then, there have been calls to build a temple on the spot where the mosque once stood. | Since then, there have been calls to build a temple on the spot where the mosque once stood. |
Hinduism is India's majority religion and is thought to be more than 4,000 years old. India's first Islamic dynasty was established in the early 13th Century. | Hinduism is India's majority religion and is thought to be more than 4,000 years old. India's first Islamic dynasty was established in the early 13th Century. |
Who is fighting the case? | Who is fighting the case? |
The long and complicated property dispute has been dragging on in various courts for more than a century. | The long and complicated property dispute has been dragging on in various courts for more than a century. |
This particular case is being fought between three main parties - two Hindu groups and the Muslim Waqf Board, which is responsible for the maintenance of Islamic properties in India. | This particular case is being fought between three main parties - two Hindu groups and the Muslim Waqf Board, which is responsible for the maintenance of Islamic properties in India. |
The Hindu litigants are the Hindu Mahasabha, a right-wing political party, and the Nirmohi Akhara, which is a sect of Hindu monks. | The Hindu litigants are the Hindu Mahasabha, a right-wing political party, and the Nirmohi Akhara, which is a sect of Hindu monks. |
They filed a title dispute in the Allahabad High Court in 2002, a decade after the mosque was demolished. | They filed a title dispute in the Allahabad High Court in 2002, a decade after the mosque was demolished. |
A verdict in that case was pronounced in September 2010 - it determined that the 2.77 acres of the disputed land would be divided equally into three parts. | A verdict in that case was pronounced in September 2010 - it determined that the 2.77 acres of the disputed land would be divided equally into three parts. |
The court ruled that the site should be split, with the Muslim community getting control of a third, Hindus another third and the Nirmohi Akhara sect the remainder. Control of the main disputed section, where the mosque once stood, was given to Hindus. | The court ruled that the site should be split, with the Muslim community getting control of a third, Hindus another third and the Nirmohi Akhara sect the remainder. Control of the main disputed section, where the mosque once stood, was given to Hindus. |
The judgement also made three key observations. | The judgement also made three key observations. |
It affirmed the disputed spot was the birthplace of Lord Ram, that the Babri Masjid was built after the demolition of a Hindu temple, and that the mosque was not built in accordance with the tenets of Islam. | |
The Supreme Court suspended this ruling in 2011 after both Hindu and Muslim groups appealed against it. | The Supreme Court suspended this ruling in 2011 after both Hindu and Muslim groups appealed against it. |