Ayodhya Muslims reject 5-acre land proposal

Ayodhya: Prominent Muslims in this holy town have expressed reservations about accepting the five-acre land, as decided by the Supreme Court in its verdict on November 9 allotting 67 acres of the entire acquired area for the Ram temple.

Maulana Badshah Khan, president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind in Ayodhya who was a party in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi case from the Muslim side, said: “We fought the case for the Babri Masjid land, not for any other land. We don’t want any other land for mosque anywhere, and instead, we offer that land too for Ram Mandir.”

He said if the Muslims wanted to build a mosque, they could do so. “We can purchase land and build our mosque; we are not dependent on any government. If the court or government wants to assuage our sentiments, then the 5-acre land must be given within the acquired area as land marked as graveyards and a ‘dargah’ was also acquired,” said Maulana Jalal Ashraf, a local cleric.

Iqbal Ansari, who was also the main litigant in the



case, said: “If they want to give us land, they must do so according to our convenience and only in that acquired 67-acre land.”

Dr Yusuf Khan, a Muslim social activist in Ayodhya, said: “There are enough mosques in Ayodhya to take care of our religious needs. Since the apex court has given its verdict in favour of Ram Temple, the issue is closed now.”

Khaliq Ahmad Khan, General Secretary of the All India Milli Council and a party in Ayodhya case from the Muslim side, said: “The government must give us land in the acquired area. There are 16 plots in the acquired area, including the plots of former Babri Masjid and ‘Shilanyas’. This includes a ‘qabristan’ (graveyard), four ‘Qanaati Masjid’ and a mousoleum of the 18th century sufi saint Qazi Qudwa. Some these have been razed”, he added.

Haji Asad Ahmad, Corporator of Ayodhya Municipal Corporation, said: “We don’t want any land in exchange for Babri Masjid. We don’t want donation of land.”