New Delhi, Feb 20: The Supreme Court today permitted Babri Masjid Movement Coordination Committee (BMMCC), opposing the Union Government`s plea for vacation of the stay on any kind of religious activity in the 67 acre acquired land around the disputed structure, to intervene in the Ayodhya case. A Bench comprising Chief Justice V N Khare, Justice S B Sinha and Justice A R Lakshmanan allowed BMMCC counsel Anis Suhrawardy to circulate the committee`s response to the Centre`s application for early hearing of a petition on which the Apex Court, in an interim order last year, had banned all kinds of religious activity on the acquired land. The court had earlier fixed tomorrow for hearing on the Centre`s plea seeking vacation of the stay order on the ground that the there had been a sea change in the situation prevailing in March last year, when the shiladaan ceremony was scheduled, and the situation prevailing now.

BMMCC convenor Sayed Sahabuddin, in his application, claimed that the legal position remained unchanged since March 2002. "Further, there is no change in the ground situation in the acquired areas and therefore, there appears to be no justification for the prayers made by the Union Government," he added in his application.

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Referring to the ultimatums given by VHP for removal of all legal hurdles to facilitate construction of the temple at Ayodhya, the committee said, "The union government is acting under the unlawful demands of the Sangh Parivar and the VHP and therefore seeking recall of the order in question." Terming the application by the Union Government as an attempt to revive a non-issue, BMMCC said that it was nothing but a `malafide` political exercise motivated by electoral considerations in view of ensuing polls in four states.

Bureau Report