NEW DELHI: As Ayodhya gets ready for the big day, not many are aware of this senior lawyer, Keshav Parasaran, who argued for the Hindu side four years ago in the Supreme Court standing barefoot for hours at a stretch.
While talking to this newspaper, Parasaran, 96, attorney general of India twice earlier, said he felt that Lord Ram is omnipresent. Faith in him and respect for him brought people closer to themselves, he said.
“The arguments that I delivered in the Ram mandir case in Supreme court in 2019, is due to my love for God Ram. It was due to my faith, devotion and dedication for God Ram. I do it for Ram (Lalla) only,” Parasaran said in an emotional tone. On being asked about winning the case in the top court, he said he had done his best in the case. “It was the court that decided and pronounced the verdict,” he said.
In 2019, Parasaran surprised many when he argued standing barefoot for hours at a stretch, despite his age. His juniors and contemporaries said it was his deep devotion and humility that led him to follow the gesture.
Every day, Parasaran would spend four-to-five hours in the court. During the hearing, he would take off his shoes, out of reverence for the deity he was arguing for. He would speak without showing any signs of fatigue during the exhaustive legal battle, like any other lawyer would argue in a normal case.
Parasaran was brought back from Chennai to Delhi for two cases. One was the Sabarimala case and the other was Ayodhya, although he rarely appeared in cases after 2016 due to his age.
Parasaran, being an eminent Hindu scholar and an excellent government lawyer, argued the Ram temple case in August 2019 for around 4-5 days consecutively. His legal career spans over six decades. He served as the attorney general of India from 1983 to 1989. He had earlier served as the advocate-general of Tamil Nadu in 1976, before ascending to the position of Solicitor General of India, wielding the legal sword on the national stage.
Parasaran was awarded Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan in 2003 and 2011. He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the President in 2012. His knowledge of the Indian Constitution and ancient dharma has been praised widely.
Parasaran’s association with the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra added a new dimension to his career. In 2019, the Central government entrusted him with the pivotal role of leading the trust overseeing the Ram temple construction.