Former Supreme Court Justice R.F. Nariman has openly criticized the Supreme Court’s 2019 Ayodhya verdict regarding the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute, labeling it a “great travesty of justice” for its treatment of secular principles. Justice Nariman voiced his concerns during the First Justice A.M. Ahmadi Memorial Lecture, focusing on ‘Secularism and the Indian constitution
In his address, Justice Nariman lamented the judgment’s failure to uphold secularism adequately, despite acknowledging the illegal demolition of the Babri Masjid. He highlighted a “silver lining” in the verdict—the affirmation of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act 1991—which he advocated should be rigorously enforced to quell the burgeoning disputes over religious sites, which he likened to “hydra heads” emerging across the nation.
