Ayodhya Case: No word on Supreme Court order, but 'Hindu' Uma Bharti wants mandir for Lord Ram

Uma Bharti, the Union Minister in Narendra Modi government, has voiced a cautious opinion on the Supreme Court’s Ayodhya order. “I don't want to comment on the Supreme Court order. I don't want to comment on the mediators named by the court. But as a Hindu, I think, a temple should be made where Lord Ram was born,” Bharti was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Bharti, who was present at the site when the Mugha-era mosque was demolished by the ‘karsevaks’ on December 6, 1992, has previously said that she was ‘ready to die for construction of Ram temple.’

"Grand Ram temple in Ayodhya is my dream. Ready to go to prison or be hanged for India and Ram Mandir," the senior BJP leader had said in 2017. She had asserted that she was "proud, unapologetic" and does not repent her role in the Ram Janmabhoomi campaign.

The Supreme Court on Friday referred the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case for mediation by a panel headed by retired apex court judge F M I Kalifulla to explore the possibility of an amicable settlement and gave it eight weeks to complete its proceedings. The other members of the panel will be spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravishankar and senior advocate Sriram Panchu, said a five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and added that they can co-opt more members if needed.

The bench, also comprising justices S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S A Nazeer, said the mediation proceedings will be held at Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh and directed the state government to make necessary arrangements for it. While referring the matter for mediation, the bench said there is no legal impediment to send the matter for mediation for arriving at a possible settlement.