The upcoming inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has sparked a flurry of legal activity, with various bar associations requesting the declaration of a court holiday on January 22.
The event, set to be presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, anticipates an attendance of over 8,000 guests.
Notably, the construction of the Ram Mandir was made possible by the Supreme Court's 2019 verdict, wherein a three-judge bench declared that the disputed site's title in Ayodhya belongs to Bhagwan Sri Ram.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, a part of the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi judgment, will conduct regular court proceedings on January 22, as it is a standard working day for the Supreme Court.
Former CJIs Ranjan Gogoi, SA Bobde, and Justice Abdul Nazeer (currently Governor of Andhra Pradesh), all part of the Ayodhya bench, will not attend the ceremony due to prior official commitments.
The lone judge from the Ayodhya bench attending the consecration ceremony is Justice Ashok Bhushan, also the current chairperson of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal.
Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta will miss the event as he is scheduled to appear before a seven-judge bench of the Supreme Court on January 23. The bench, presided over by CJI D Y Chandrachud, will hear a matter related to the minority status of Aligarh Muslim University.
Despite being among the few VVIP guests invited to the Ram Mandir event, SG Mehta emphasized that he cannot make it back to court on time for the hearing in Delhi and views it as a mark of disrespect if he doesn't personally appear before the seven-judge bench.
Attorney General for India R Venkataramani is also unable to participate in the event due to pending official work.
