No place for fear, bitterness in new India: PM

Pointing out that November 9 was the date when the Berlin Wall was brought down, Modi said: “Today, the Kartarpur corridor was also inaugurated. Now the Ayodhya verdict, so this date gives us the message to stay united and move forward.”

Terming the verdict as a “new dawn”, Modi said: “Now, the next generation will build a new India. Today is the day to forget any bitterness one may have; there is no place for fear, bitterness and negativity in new India.”

The Prime Minister also said the judgment will “further increase people’s faith in judicial processes”. “The halls of justice have amicably concluded a matter going on for decades. Every side was given adequate time and opportunity to express differing points of view,” he said.

Full judgment | Highlights of Supreme Court Ayodhya verdict

“The Supreme Court’s Ayodhya judgment is notable because it highlights that any dispute can be amicably solved in the spirit of due process of law. It reaffirms the independence, transparency and farsightedness of our judiciary. It clearly illustrates everybody is equal before the law,” Modi said.

“Today, the world has also realised how vibrant and strong our democracy is. After today’s verdict, the manner in which every section of society, every community, every religion, the entire nation accepted the verdict with open arms, this is a manifestation of India’s age-old ethos, culture and traditions, as well as our inherent spirit of brotherhood,” the Prime Minister said.

Modi signed off by extending his wishes for the festivals ahead, including Eid Miladul Nabi Sunday.

In his tweet earlier, Modi wrote: “Be it Ram Bhakti or Rahim Bhakti, it is imperative that we strengthen the spirit of Rashtra Bhakti. May peace and harmony prevail.”

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The ruling BJP, which aggressively championed the Ram temple issue while in Opposition, was measured in its response to the judgment.

Leaders of the party, which had adopted the VHP’s temple agitation as part of the agenda in its Palampur resolution of 1989, hailed the judgment but without breaking into celebrations. They said it reaffirmed the “independence, transparency and farsightedness” of the judiciary.

Both the government and the party tried to project the verdict as a victory for the country, its heritage and its legacy.

Maintaining that the verdict will “strengthen India’s unity and integrity”, BJP National President and Home Minister Amit Shah appealed to all communities and religions to accept the decision of the court and remain committed to the slogan, “one India, great India”.

The party’s working president J P Nadda said the BJP “salutes the people of the country who have united and kept the social, cultural and spiritual fabric of the country intact”. “This decision has given a clear message that we are united and the roots of democracy in India are very strong,” Nadda said.

The responses were carefully calibrated after the top leadership had warned strictly against any celebrations. But the mood was in contrast to the apprehension within the party after the 2010 Allahabad High Court order, which divided the disputed land into three. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who had appeared as an advocate for Ram Lalla then, had said at the time: “…even (Justice) S U Khan has said that Ram Lalla will not be moved out from that place even when it will be divided into three”.