Ayodhya verdict: Sunni Waqf Board will take legal opinion on whether to accept plot for mosque, says chairman Zufar Farooqui

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board on Friday said it was taking legal opinion on whether to accept a five-acre plot that is to be allotted by the Centre for a mosque as per the Supreme Court’s Ayodhya verdict, and noted that it would give emphasis to views of the Muslim Personal Law Board on the matter. “Though AIMPLB (All India Muslim Personal Law Board) was not a party in the Ayodhya case, it would be right to give importance to its views as it is the supreme body of Muslims in the country,” Sunni Central Waqf Board chairman Zufar Farooqui said.  “As of now, it has to be seen whether the board can refuse to take the five-acre land for the construction of a mosque as ruled by the Supreme Court. Will it amount to contempt of court? The board has started taking legal opinion on this point,” he said. Farooqui said there were divergent views within the board on the matter and “the number of those suggesting that the plot should be used for some constructive work to give a message to the world is very low”. The Sunni Waqf board will take into consideration what the AIMPLB decides in its meeting on Sunday and take a final call on the matter in its meeting scheduled for November 26, he said. In a unanimous verdict last week, the Supreme Court cleared the way for the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya and directed the Centre to allot a five-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a mosque. Babri Masjid Action Committee convenor and senior counsel Zafaryab Jilani said that since the AIMPLB had led the Muslim side, its opinion on whether to accept the land or not should be given utmost importance. Asked if the opinion of AIMPLB and Sunni Waqf Board was different on the matter, Jilani said the latter was not the only party in the case and could not take the decision on its own.