The Supreme Court will declare its decision on referring the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case in Ayodhya for mediation as a “permanent solution” on Friday. On Wednesday, the court had reserved its order in the case.

A Constitution bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices SA Bobde, Ashok Bhushan, Abdul Nazeer and DY Chandrachud had said on Wednesday that it was aware of the gravity of the matter and the outcome of mediation on the body politic of the country.

Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had on Wednesday asked parties in the matter to suggest names for a panel of mediators by the end of the day. The bench had said mediation may help in “healing relations”.

The counsels for the Hindu Mahasabha, the deity Ram Lalla, and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Uttar Pradesh government have opposed mediation.

The counsel for the Hindu Mahasabha had said the issue is religious and sentimental. “Not a mere property dispute,” he had said. The Hindu Mahasabha had also said a public notice is necessary before the matter is sent for mediation.

Bobde had said the outcome of the mediation does not concern the court. “You are looking into outcome even before mediation is attempted,” Bobde had said.

Advocate CS Vaidyanathan, representing the deity Ram Lalla, had said that repeated attempts were made earlier to settle the dispute amicably but had failed. Vaidyanathan had said the temple has to be built at Ram Janmasthan and an alternative place could be considered for the mosque. “We are ready to crowd fund the construction of a mosque elsewhere.”

Advocate Rajeev Dhawan, counsel for the Sunni Waqf Board, which had also opposed the mediation, said on Wednesday that the organisation was open to try it. He had said any compromise or settlement will bind parties and asked the Supreme Court to frame the terms for mediation.

The top court on February 26 suggested to the parties of the Ayodhya dispute that they try mediation to resolve the dispute. However, none of the litigants were willing to accept this offer. The Supreme Court then gave the parties six weeks to examine translations made by the Uttar Pradesh government in the status report on the case.