All parties, communities should respect SC's decision, maintain centuries-old culture: Priyanka Gandhi on Ayodhya verdict

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Saturday gave a historic verdict in the decades-old Ayodhya's Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case, directing that Hindus will get the disputed land for the construction of a Ram temple while a suitable plot of land, measuring five acres, will be given to Sunni Waqf Board. 

Following the verdict, a spectrum of political leaders across parties hailed the Supreme Court's decision which came nine years after the Allahabad High Court had ordered that the disputed land be equally divided between the three parties - Ram Lalla, Sunni Waqf Board, and the Nirmohi Akhara.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took to microblogging site Twitter and said that respecting the SC's decision, all parties, communities and citizens should maintain the culture of our centuries-old society while asserting, "We all have to strengthen mutual harmony and brotherhood together."

_______ ______ __ ____ __ ________ _____ __ _____ ____ ___ ___ ______, ________ __ ________ __ __ ______ __ ______ ____ ___ _____ ______ __ ___ _ ___ ______ __ ________ __ ____ ____ ______ __ ____ __ ____ ____ _______ __ _______ __ _____ ____ _____

- Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) November 9, 2019

After the verdict was pronounced, the Congress Working Committee also passed a resolution on the Ayodhya verdict saying "The Indian National Congress respects the verdict of the Supreme Court in the Ayodhya case. We appeal to all the parties concerned and to all communities to abide by the secular values and spirit of fraternity enshrined in our Constitution and to maintain peace and harmony. It is the responsibility of each one of us to reaffirm our tradition of mutual respect and unity among all that has defined our society through the ages."

Further, senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia appealed that all should accept the decision with patience and seriousness and maintain harmony. "I respect the verdict of the Supreme Court. All should accept the verdict with seriousness and patience. It is our collective responsibility to maintain harmony, brotherhood and peace so that peace and harmony is maintained in the country which has strong foundations for it," Scindia said. 

The historic day for India - the largest secular democracy in the world - saw the end of a dispute spanning several centuries which had pitted the Hindu and Muslim communities against each other in the courts. The five-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and comprising of Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde, Justice Ashok Bhushan, Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice SA Nazeer maintained the title suit of Ram Lalla and rejected the other petitions. But the court also ordered that 5 acres of alternate land should be provided to the Sunni Waqf Board at a prominent place in Ayodhya.