The Supreme Court on Thursday permitted the Babri Masjid Movement Coordination Committee (BMMCC), opposing the Union government's plea for vacation of the stay on any kind of religious activity in the 67 acres of acquired land around the disputed structure, to intervene in the Ayodhya case.

A bench comprising Chief Justice V N Khare, Justice S B Sinha and Justice AR. Lakshmanan allowed BMMCC counsel Anis Suhrawardy to circulate the committee's response to the Centre's application for early hearing of a petition on which the apex court, in an interim order last year, had banned all kinds of religious activity on the acquired land.

The court had earlier fixed February 21 for hearing the Centre's plea seeking vacation of the stay order on the ground that the there had been a sea change in the situation prevailing in March last year, when the shiladaan (symbolic donation of pillars for the temple) of ceremony was scheduled, and the situation prevailing now.

BMMCC convener Syed Sahabuddin, in his application, said, "The legal position remained unchanged since March 2002."

"Further, there is no change in the ground situation in the acquired areas and therefore, there appears to be no justification for the prayers made by the Union Government."

Referring to the VHP's ultimatums for removal of all legal hurdles to facilitate construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya, the committee said, "The Union government is acting on the unlawful demands of the Sangh Parivar and the VHP."

PTI