No plan to challenge SC ruling on Babri Masjid land: Sunni Central Waqf Board chief

Lucknow, Nov 9: Chairperson Zafar Ahmad Farooqui of the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board, one of the main litigants in the Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri Masjid case, on Saturday welcomed the Supreme Court verdict and said it has no plans to challenge it.

"We welcome the Supreme Court verdict in the case. The Board has no plans to challenge it," he said. "As of now, the verdict is being studied thoroughly, after which the Board will issue a detailed statement. "If any lawyer or any other person says the decision will be challenged by the Board, it should not be taken as correct," Farooqui said.

In a statement, Farooqui said, "I, as a chairman of the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board, want to make it clear that the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board will not go in for any review of the apex court's order or file any curative petition, hence any statement in this regard by any individual, lawyer or an organisation which mentions that the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board will go in for a review is not our line."

In his initial reaction soon after the judgement, the Board's counsel Zafaryab Jilani had said in Delhi, "The Ayodhya verdict has a lot of contradictions. We will seek a review as we are not satisfied with the verdict."

Jilani, however, later clarified that the press conference was organised by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and he had reacted as its secretary and not as the counsel for the Sunni Waqf Board.

Speaking on the issue of selection of five acres of alternative land given to the Board for the construction of a mosque, Farooqui said, “We welcome and respect the decision given by the Supreme Court. We will consult with the Board members about where to take the land and then decided further on the issue.”

Farooqui also said the Board was grateful to the court for setting aside the "erroneous observation of one of the judges of the Allahabad HC in its 2010 ruling, which diluted the provision of the Places of Worship Act, 1991".

The Board had last month proposed withdrawing claim on the disputed land with some conditions in the national interest.

The Supreme Court, in a unanimous verdict on Saturday, paved the way for the construction of a Ram Temple at the disputed site at Ayodhya, and directed the Centre to allot a 5-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a mosque.