Supreme Court Dismisses Plea That Sought Ban On Naming Mosques After Babur

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea that sought a ban on the construction or naming of any mosque or religious structure in the name of Mughal emperor Babur or Babri Masjid.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta declined to entertain the plea, following which the counsel for the petitioner withdrew it.

The counsel referred to suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir's announcement to construct a replica of the Babri Masjid in West Bengal's Murshidabad.

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 derivative names across India.

The plea described Babur as an "invader".

It also said that the Mughal ruler had referred to Hindus as slaves and sought action against persons allegedly engaging in such activities.

In the November 2019 judgment allowing the construction of Ram Mandir at the disputed site in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya, the Supreme Court had termed the destruction of Babri Masjid in 1992 an egregious violation of the rule of law. The court had directed that five acres of an alternate site should be allotted in a prominent place in Ayodhya for the reconstruction of Babri Masjid.