A group of Hindu ascetics, Nirmohi Akhara, who are one of the original litigants in the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case on Tuesday, April 9, moved the Supreme Court, pleading against the Centre's decision to return the non-disputed land around the disputed site of Ayodhya to its rightful owners.
The akhara or religious denomination filed the plea stating that the release of the 67.390 acres of land could lead to the construction of smaller temples. It went on to say that the acquisition of the land by the government led to the destruction of many temples which the organisation managed.
The Nirmohi Akhara is one of the original plaintiffs in the Ayodhya-Babri Masjid case. Back in 2010, the Allahabad High Court has decided that the disputed 2 acres of land will be divided equally between the Sunni Waqf board, Ram Lalla and the Nirmohi Akhara.
What are the Nirmohi Akhara?
The Nirmohi Akhara, roughly translated to "Group without Attachment" is a group of Hindu sadhus who are devotees of Lord Ram. They are set to receive one-third of the Babri Masjid land. According to a blog by Washington Post Journal, they claimed that no Babri Masjid every existed on the disputed land. They added that the Mughal emperor Babur, who is said to have constructed the Babri Masjid, did not conquer India. Another claim by the Akhara is that Babur and his army did not occupy any land during the said conquest.
In 2011, shortly after the Allahabad High Court's order in 2010 regarding the division of the land into three equal parts, the Nirmohi Akhara split ties with its long-standing partner, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The two groups were allies for 21 years since 1989.
The Nirmohi Akhara said, according to Economic Times, that one of the main reasons for the split was that the VHP was trying to assert its dominance over the Ayodhya dispute.
"VHP does not have any claim over Ram Janmabhoomi. It just created communal riots and disturbed the peaceful atmosphere of country. It is responsible for whatever has happened in its so-called Ram temple movement'," Mahant Jagannath Das, the chief priest of the Akhara was quoted as saying by ET.
