SC deprecates UP minister's 'Supreme Court is ours' remark
New Delhi, Sep 12: The Supreme Court on Thursday deprecated the remarks of an Uttar Pradesh minister that like the Ram Mandir and the disputed land in Ayodhya, the top court is also "ours".
A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi took note of the statement of senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, appearing for Muslim parties including Sunni Wakf Board in the Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute, that he has received a threat message on his Facebook wall and his clerk has also been abused and assaulted by some people as he had been appearing against Hindu bodies in the case.
"This should not be happening in the country. We deprecate such statements. Both sides are free to put their arguments before court without any fear," said the bench which also comprised justices S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S A Nazeer.
As soon as the bench assembled to commence hearing on 22nd day in the politically sensitive case, Dhavan submitted that the atmosphere was not "conducive" and "right" for the hearing and referred to two recent incidents.
"Last week, I received a message on my Facebook wall. I received threats. Yesterday, my clerk was told that his boss was arguing against the Hindu deity," he said, adding there was an ugly spat including fisticuffs with his clerk.
Then he referred to the purported statement of Uttar Pradesh minister Mukut Bihari Verma made in 2018 and said, "He had said that 'jagah hamari hai. Mandir hamara hai aur Supreme Court bhi hamari hai (the place is ours, so are the temple and the Supreme Court)."
"I cannot go on filing contempt petitions," Dhavan said, adding that there was "camaraderie" in the court, but the situation outside was not conducive and "one word from My lords" would serve the purpose.
The bench then asked Dhavan whether he wanted security cover but the offer was declined by the senior lawyer.
Dhavan said he was "not arguing against the Hindu faith" and "people forgot that I had argued Kashi and Kamakhya cases in past".
Dhavan's clerk later told reporters that some unknown persons on Wednesday had stopped him and asked as to why his employer lawyer was fighting case against Hindus.
The clerk, however, said that he was not physically assaulted.
The top court then proceeded with the hearing in the case.
Earlier, the apex court had issued show cause notices to two persons, including an 88-year-old retired government servant N Shanmugam, on the contempt plea of Dhavan.
He had alleged that Shanmugam had hurled curses at him for taking up the case on behalf of Sunni Waqf Board and other Muslim parties.
Rajasthan resident Sanjay Kalal Bajrangi was the second person who had allegedly threatened Dhavan by sending a WhatsApp message.
Later, Dhavan had claimed that Iqbal Ansari, one of the litigants in the land dispute case, was attacked at his home in Ayodhya by two people including shooter Vartika Singh.
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Iran Foreign Minister Araghchi begins 3-day India visit
New Delhi (PTI): Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi began a three-day official visit to India on Wednesday, marking the first high-level diplomatic engagement from Tehran since the outbreak of the US-Israel war with Iran more than two months ago.
Araghchi is visiting India primarily to attend a two-day meeting of BRICS foreign ministers beginning Thursday.
The Iranian foreign minister is set to hold wide-ranging bilateral talks with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar, focusing on the escalating crisis in West Asia.
The situation surrounding the Strait of Hormuz is expected to feature prominently. The Indian side is likely to press for the safe passage of remaining merchant vessels through the strategic waterway, according to people familiar with the matter.
Araghchi and other foreign ministers of the BRICS member states are scheduled to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.
"A very warm welcome to Foreign Minister of Iran, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, on his arrival in New Delhi for the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on 'X'.
The escalating crisis in West Asia and its impact on the global energy supply chain are expected to dominate deliberations at the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting.
India, as the chair of BRICS, is hosting the conclave of the foreign ministers ahead of the annual summit of the grouping in September.
It will be interesting to see if the foreign ministerial conclave manages to produce a consensus statement on the conflict in West Asia.
Sharp differences among the member states over the US-Israel war on Iran stalled India's efforts to build a consensus position on the conflict during a meeting of the grouping's deputy foreign ministers and special envoys on Middle East and North America last month.
No consensus statement on the conflict could be reached largely due to differences between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iran. The two neighbouring countries have sparred in recent weeks over Iran's alleged attacks on energy infrastructure in the UAE.
"The active presence of the Islamic Republic of Iran in mechanisms such as BRICS represents a strategic choice to strengthen genuine multilateralism, expand equitable cooperation, and participate in shaping a more just order in international relations," Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on 'X'.
"The BRICS foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi can be an important opportunity for dialogue on the future of Global South cooperation, reforming international economic governance, developing independent trade, strengthening financial and banking ties, and reducing countries' dependence on discriminatory and unilateral mechanisms," he said.
Gharibabadi said Iran, with its geopolitical, energy, transit, scientific, and human capacities, can play an effective role in the BRICS agenda for balanced development, economic security, regional connectivity, and amplifying the voice of independent countries.
The Iranian deputy foreign minister is in New Delhi for the BRICS meeting.
"In this path, opposition to America's unilateral coercive measures and their illegal and anti-development effects is an inseparable part of defending economic justice and the rights of nations to development," he said.
After the West Asia conflict escalated, Iran urged India, as the current BRICS chair, to leverage its "independent role" to halt the US-Israel hostilities against Iran.
Global oil and gas prices have surged after Iran virtually blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping lane between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman that handles roughly 20 per cent of global oil and LNG (liquefied natural gas).
BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE, with Indonesia joining in 2025.
It has emerged as an influential grouping as it brings together 11 major emerging economies of the world, representing around 49.5 per cent of the global population, around 40 per cent of the global GDP and around 26 per cent of the global trade.
The BRICS foreign ministers held their last meeting on the margins of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 80) in September 2025.
