Welcoming the Allahabad High Court order rejecting a plea for deferring the judgment in the Babri Masjid title suit case, leading lawyers on Friday expressed the hope that all sides to the dispute would abide by the verdict and not incite passions.
They said it was the job of courts to deliver verdicts though efforts could always be made for striking an amicable out-of-court settlement.
Eminent counsel Harish Salve said the court's job was to give judgments and it was for the government to maintain law and order. He said he was surprised that efforts were being made to avoid a judgment.
Referring to an incident in the 1990s, when it was prayed before the Supreme Court that the case relating to Kalyan Singh in a contempt matter be adjourned because there was a BJP rally on a particular day, Justice M.N. Venkatachaliah remarked that the court would do its job and it was for the government to maintain law and order.
Senior advocate K.K. Venugopal said it was the duty of the court to deliver the judgment irrespective of the consequences.
“The reasons given by those seeking deferment is that the judgment will result in creating a law and order problem. Even after six months, the position will be the same. As one judge will be retiring, it will be the duty of the court to deliver its judgment,” he said.
Lawyer K.T.S. Tulsi said even at this late stage if it was possible to work out an amicable solution that could be attempted.
The former Law Minister and senior advocate Shanti Bhushan took strong exception to efforts made by “vested interests” to defer the judgment and said the High Court had done the “right thing.”
While agreeing with Mr. Venugopal, senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan said there could not be further adjournments over the issue and the verdict would have to be delivered on time.
The former Attorney-General, Soli Sorabjee, said he was not able to understand apprehensions being expressed that there would be violence and communal discord after the verdict. “In any case one side will win and the other will lose. That does not mean there will be riots. Then what happens to the rule of law in the country,” he said.
