Chief Justice Chandrachud on Ayodhya verdict: 'Sat before deity, asked for solution'

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, who delivered the verdict on the 70-year-old Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute, shared that he had prayed for a resolution prior to announcing the decision.

Speaking at his hometown, Pune on October 20, CJI Chandrachud emphasised that God will find a way for those who have faith. 

The verdict was announced on November 9, 2019 by a five-judge Supreme Court bench, led by then Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and including Justice Chandrachud. The Supreme Court allowed the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya while designating an alternative five-acre plot for the mosque.

Reflecting on his time deliberating on the Ayodhya case, which lasted three months, CJI Chandrachud noted, "Very often we have cases (to adjudicate) but we don't arrive at a solution. Something similar happened during the Ayodhya (Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute) which was in front of me for three months".

"I sat before the deity and told him he needs to find a solution," the Chief Justice said, as quoted by news agency PTI. Asserting that he prays regularly, the CJI said, "Believe me, if you have faith, God will always find a way".

The Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute was a long-standing legal and political issue over whether the 16th-century Mughal mosque was built after demolishing a temple on the site, which is claimed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram.

CJI Chandrachud visited the Ram Temple in Ayodhya in July, where he offered prayers. The idol consecration ceremony took place on January 22 this year, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.