Former Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi litigant Iqbal Ansari on Friday, 18 September responded to actress Swara Bhaskar's controversial remarks about the 2019 Supreme Court verdict on Ram Janmabhoomi, asserting that the judgment had been accepted with respect across the country and that revisiting the matter serves no constructive purpose. Speaking from Ayodhya, Ansari underlined that the verdict had not caused communal unrest anywhere in India.

What Iqbal Ansari Said

Ansari, one of the most prominent litigants in the decades-long Ram Janmabhoomi dispute, was measured but firm in his response. 'The Ram Temple verdict was a court decision, and people across the country respected it. Not even a leaf was disturbed anywhere in the country,' he said.

He urged that further commentary on the matter be avoided given that the court had already delivered its ruling. 'If anyone says anything regarding the Ram Temple verdict, it should be avoided, because people across the country had respected the decision of the court,' Ansari said.

He added: 'The decision has come, Ram Mandir has been built, prayers and rituals have been completed, people flock to the temple with complete devotion. Swara Bhaskar should avoid speaking on the matter, because all the people of the country have accepted the verdict respectfully.'

A Call for Communal Harmony

Ansari, who hails from Ayodhya, contextualised his appeal within the broader fabric of local interfaith relations. 'When all the people are coming and worshipping the deity, when there is no bias or discrimination… Raising an issue of the past can bring no good, because we are residents of Ayodhya. We want Hindus and Muslims of the region to live in peace together with communal harmony. Lord Ram was born there. Hindus should be able to worship the deity,' he said.

His remarks are notable precisely because of who he is — a Muslim litigant who stood on the opposing side of the case for years, and who has since repeatedly counselled acceptance of the court's decision as the path to lasting peace in Ayodhya.

What Swara Bhaskar Said

The controversy was triggered after actress Swara Bhaskar stated in a recent interview that the 2019 Supreme Court verdict on the Ram Janmabhoomi case caused her considerable pain and that she felt the ruling was 'very unfair.' According to reports, she said she was 'really upset' about the judgment and that she 'did not agree' with it.

Bhaskar reportedly added that she had personally texted Muslim contacts in her phone — including prominent film stars Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan — to express her feelings and seek their forgiveness. The remarks drew sharp reactions from several quarters, prompting responses from public figures including Ansari.

Background: The Supreme Court Verdict

The Supreme Court of India delivered its unanimous verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute in November 2019, awarding the disputed 2.77-acre site in Ayodhya to the Hindu side for the construction of a Ram temple, while directing the government to allot an alternative 5-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for a mosque. The Ram Mandir was subsequently consecrated in January 2024, in a nationally televised ceremony attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The case had been one of the most contentious legal and political disputes in independent India's history, spanning several decades.

What Happens Next

Ansari's appeal for restraint reflects a wider sentiment among community leaders in Ayodhya who have consistently prioritised local peace over national political debates. Whether Bhaskar responds to the pushback remains to be seen. The episode, however, has once again surfaced the fault lines around public commentary on sensitive judicial verdicts — and the responsibilities that come with a large public platform.