The All India Muslim Personal Law Board on Wednesday said the Sunni Waqf Board does not represent Muslims, hours after five acres of land were allotted to it in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya district to build a mosque as relief for the “unlawful destruction” of Babri Masjid in 1992, PTI reported.
A five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court had passed the verdict on November 9. The court also asked the Centre to set up a trust within three months to oversee the construction of a Ram temple at the site in Ayodhya where the Babri Masjid stood. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the formation of the trust on Wednesday.
“Sunni Waqf board is not representative of [the] entire Muslim community,” said the personal law board’s Senior Executive Member Maulana Yasin Usmani. “If it takes land, it should not be considered decision of Muslims of the country.” The board and those associated with it had decided not to accept any land in Ayodhya, he added.
The land provided for the mosque is in Dhannipur village in the district’s Sohawal tehsil. It is located on the Lucknow highway, around 18 km from Ayodhya city. Chief Minister Adityanath approved the allocation at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday. “The state government had sent three alternatives for land to the Centre,” said state government spokesperson Shrikant Sharma. “This one was accepted by the Centre and the state Cabinet has approved its allotment. There is good transportation facility to reach here and communal amity and law and order are also good.”
On December 12, the Supreme Court had dismissed all 18 petitions seeking a review of the November 9 verdict.
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