New Delhi, February 20 The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea seeking a direction to prevent the construction, establishment, or naming of any mosque or religious structure in the name of Mughal emperor Babur or Babri Masjid.
After a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta indicated its unwillingness to hear the plea, the petitioner's counsel withdrew it.
"Dismissed as withdrawn," the bench said.
The petitioner's counsel referred to the announcement by suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir to build a replica of the Babri Masjid in West Bengal's Murshidabad district.
He stated that the petitioner was against the construction of mosques in the name of "invaders" in this country.
The counsel argued that Kabir had "announced the construction of the Babri Masjid in Murshidabad despite the fact that Babur was an invader," and that action should be taken against him.
He argued that the Centre and state authorities should be directed to prevent the construction of any monument or any mosque in the name of Babur.
After the bench stated that it was dismissing the petition, the counsel sought permission to withdraw the plea.
The plea sought a direction to the Centre, states, and others to consider the petitioner's case for restraining or banning the construction, establishment, or naming of any mosque or religious structure in the name of Babur or Babri Masjid, or any other similar names across India.
It also sought a direction for the authorities to consider framing appropriate guidelines or issuing circulars and administrative orders for banning the construction of any mosque, religious structure in the name of Babri Masjid, Babur, or any such person who invaded India.
A five-judge bench of the apex court had delivered a landmark verdict in November 2019 in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case.
The top court had cleared the way for the construction of a Ram Temple at the disputed site at Ayodhya, and directed the Centre to allot a five-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a mosque.
