Thread by @FrustIndian

A brief timeline of Ram Mandir Case. 1885 - 2018. Read on

1885: first civil suit in Ram Mandir case filed by Mahant Raghubir Das in the Court of the Sub-Judge, Faizabad. Plea rejected, British administration puts a fence around the site.

1949: A Vigraha of Bhagwan Ram appears exactly at the proclaimed birthplace on the night of 22 December 1949. Hindu devotees rush to the birthplace of Bhagwan Ram. Nehru wants the Vigraha to be removed. Both Hindus and Muslim bodies file civil suits in the court.

1950: Gopal Singh Visharad files a case in the Faizabad civil court on 16 January 1950, demands exclusive rights for performing puja and a permanent injunction prohibiting removal of the Vigraha from the birthplace of Bhagwan Ram. Injunction granted.

1950: Congress government of Uttar Pradesh appeals against the injunction order.

1950: Paramhans Ramchandra Das, chief of the Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas (Rama Birthplace Temple Trust) files a case requesting continuation of puja. However, later on withdraws the case.

1959: Nirmohi Akhara files a case demanding possession of the site, claiming to be the custodian of Ram Janambhumi and also demands the transfer of charge of the disputed site from the receiver.

1961: Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Board of Waqfs storms to the picture and moves to court. It demands possession of the mosque the adjoining land, and also the removal of vigraha of Bhagwan Ram.

1986: On the basis of Hari Shankar Dubey’s plea, the district court judge orders to unlock the gates for ‘darshan’ to Hindu worshippers. Muslims set up Babri Masjid Action Committee. Gate opens and locks within an hour.

1989: Clamour for building Ram Temple at Ram Janambhumi grows. Former VHP vice-president and a retired judge of the Allahabad HC, Deoki Nandan Agarwala, files a suit for possession at the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court.

1989: Rajiv Gandhi, in order to appease Hindu voters, orders to reopen the gates. He also allows the VHP to perform shilanyas ceremony. BJP, VHP, and the RSS launch a nationwide movement to build a grand Ram Temple.

1990: Mulayam Singh Yadav re-enacts a Jallianwala Bagh, when state police mercilessly fires and kills Kar Sevaks in the most brutal way

1992: Demolition of Babri Masjid on 6 December 1992. President rule imposed in Uttar Pradesh, Kalyan Singh government dismissed.

1992: Justice Liberhan Commission is set up to investigate the demolition of Babri Mosque and submit its report within three months.

1993: PV Narasimha Rao led Congress government at the Centre passes ‘Acquisition of Certain Area at Ayodhya Act’ on 3 April 1993 to take possession of all the disputed areas

1994: Supreme Court comes to the conclusion that under the Mohammedan law applicable in India, a Mosque may be lost by adverse possession and there can be no reason why a Mosque should be given a special or unique status.

1996: Allahabad HC commences recording oral evidence regarding the title dispute.

2002: Allahabad High Court orders the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to find out if a temple existed in the area as claimed by the Hindus.

2003: ASI commences its excavation to find out the evidence of temple beneath the Ram Janambhumi. In the report submitted by ASI, it finds the claims to be true. Muslim bodies reject the findings of ASI.

2003: Supreme Court bans religious activity at the acquired land and maintains that interim order should stay in force till disposal of the suits pending in Allahabad High Court to maintain law and order, and communal harmony.

2010: Lucknow bench of Allahabad HC divides the disputed land into 3 parts ― one-third for the Sunni Waqf Board, one-third for the Nirmohi Akhara and one-third to the party for ‘Ram Lalla’(Under representation of Hindu Mahasabha).

2010: Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha and Sunni Waqf Board challenges the Allahabad High Court’s decision in the Supreme Court.

2011: Supreme Court stays the Allahabad High Court’s decision on splitting of disputed land into three parts and ordered to maintain the status quo

2016: Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy files a plea in the apex court on 26 February demanding construction of Ram Temple at the Ram Janambhumi.

2017: The then CJI JS Khehar suggests an out of court settlement. A three-judge bench is constituted by the Apex Court to hear pleas challenging the 1994 Ismail Faruqui verdict of the Allahabad High Court.

2018: Supreme Court bench headed by the then Chief Justice Dipak Misra along with Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice Abdul Nazeer gave a 2:1 majority verdict refusing to refer the case to a larger bench.

2018: On October 29, the Supreme Court adjourns the hearing on Ayodhya case until January 2019.