Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) is a human rights and legal resources platform that remains committed to upholding and defending the constitutional rights of all Indians regardless of religion, caste, class or gender.
CJP and 32 eminent citizens and leaders, have approached the Supreme Court intervening in the Ayodhya dispute. Our please is that the dispute may not be viewed as a mere property dispute, but a matter that has serious ramifications on the secular fabric of the nation. The details of our plea may be read here https://cjp.org.in/peace-in-ayodhya/
Reporting on this intervention application (IA), certain sections of the media have wrongly labeled CJP and our allies as “Anti-Mandir”. This is not just offensive, it is aimed at provoking hatred and violence.
Please note, that we are neither “anti-mandir”, nor “anti-masjid”. This is not a either-or situation. This is not a zero sum game. We genuinely believe that the secular fabric of the country can still be preserved and the constitutional values upon which India was founded can still be protected. We have intervened in the case with a plea that the decision in the matter of the disputed land not be based on any religious consideration.
Instead we would like the land to be used for public good in a manner that highlights India’s commitment to secularism. In light of this, it is absolutely absurd for certain sections of the media to call us “anti-mandir”. We believe that this baseless allegation was labelled against us as a deliberate act of mischief with the intention to spread lies about the intent of our organisation and to defame us. Such allegations also severely compromise the safety of key members and allies of CJP. We therefore urge authorities to investigate the malafide intentions of the concerned media houses.
Anil Dharker, President CJP, Teesta Setalvad, Secretary