Just over two months after it deprioritised hearings in the Ayodhya title suit, a two-judge bench of Supreme Court on Friday will take up the matter and decide on when the hearing over the disputed land case will begin.

The Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi, and Justice SK Kaul are likely to announce a date when as many as 14 pleas challenging the 2010 verdict of the Allahabad High Court will be heard, and if the matter should be fast-tracked.

When the matter was previously listed before the apex court, on October 29, it said that the case wasn't a 'priority', and that it would form a bench in the first week of January to decide when the hearing will start. 

Ever since then, pro-Mandir groups, led by the RSS, VHP and Shiv Sena, have upped their ante, and on a number of occasions demanded the government bring in an ordinance in the Parliament or find another legislative solution to keep its 2014 election manifesto promise.

Despite pressure to construct the Mandir from groups widely considered to be aligned with it and amid accusations from opponents that it is using the Ram Mandir issue for political gains, the BJP government has reiterated that it wishes to construct the Ram Mandir at the Ram Janmabhoomi site in Ayodhya.

However, the government has stopped short of considering the possibility of bringing in an ordinance, suggesting that everyone should wait for the court's orders, a view endorsed by none other than PM Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah.

Speaking in his first interview of 2019, PM Modi reiterated the Ram Mandir commitment from his 2014 election manifesto but stated that his government would follow the Supreme Court's lead in the matter and put all effort there on. 

"We have said in our BJP manifesto that a solution would be found to this issue under the ambit of the Constitution. Let the judicial process be over. After the judicial process is over, whatever will be our responsibility as the government, we are ready to make all efforts," he told ANI's editor Smita Prakash.

BJP President Amit Shah, speaking at the Republic Summit 2018, had mentioned the same while positively hoping that the Court will give out its judgment on the matter within 10 days if day to day hearing takes place.

"Supreme Court should rule on it quickly. It is important to a lot of people. I believe that in January the hearings will begin. If heard day-to-day it can be done in 10 days. Crores of people believe that the Mandir should be built there," he said.

The RSS, after the adjournment of the matter in October, had demanded the government immediately bring in an ordinance in Parliament. But following PM Modi's remarks on January 1, the RSS tweeted expressing its contentment, though, it has given the government somewhat of a deadline to begin construction on the Ram Mandir, stating that it must be done within the current government's term.

As for the VHP, its stand has been very clear on this case ever since the order of SC in October. VHP leaders have been demanding an ordinance at the earliest, and despite PM Modi's assurance, this stance hasn't changed.

"SC does not discriminate. The court will give the final verdict. People respect the order of the court": Babri Masjid litigant Iqbal Ansari on Ayodhya hearing

We would urge the government to pass an ordinance and start the work for the construction of the temple. But we will wait for the SC judgment now: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut

"We are going to request the court to hear the matter as soon as possible. We are ready with our arguments. There is no delay from both sides": Supreme Court advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain

We want that the Central Government to pass the law. I don't want to comment on the political part of this but there should be a law passed for this: Alok Kumar, Working president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad(VHP)

Supreme Court bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi assembles for the hearing in the Ayodhya case

Supreme Court bench that will hear the Ayodhya case will be constituted on January 10. Further order in the case will be passed in a hearing on that date.

The date has been finalised now to January 10. The bench will sit on the next date and will further decide on the matter. It is the matter of the title suit: BJP MP Dr Subramanian Swamy