The Nirmohi Akhara, one of the original plaintiffs in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case, on Tuesday filed a plea in the Supreme Court opposing the Centre’s move to transfer excess land around the disputed site to its original owners, Hindustan Times reported.

The Nirmohi Akhara said the acquisition of the land by the government had led to many temples managed by it being destroyed, according to ANI. The land was acquired by the government in 1994.

The Centre had moved the Supreme Court in January, seeking the court’s permission to return all excess acquired land at the site to the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas. The government had filed an interlocutory application seeking modification of the court’s March 2003 judgement to restore the surplus land, which is not part of the dispute, to the trust, which was formed to promote and oversee the construction of a Ram temple.

The Nirmoha Akhara contested the Centre’s request and wanted the Supreme Court to decide on the title dispute.

At present, a three-member panel of mediators appointed by the Supreme Court is holding deliberations with the concerned parties. The court had appointed the panel on March 8 to find a “permanent solution” to the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute in eight weeks.

The panel is led by retired Supreme Court judge FMI Kalifulla, while spiritual leader Ravi Shankar and senior advocate Sriram Panchu are the other members.

In 2010, the Allahabad High Court had ordered a three-way division of the land on which the Babri Masjid stood before it was demolished in 1992. The land was divided equally between the Nirmohi Akhara, the Sunni Wakf Board and the representative for the deity Ram Lalla.