In its proposal for an out-of-court settlement of the vexed Ayodhya dispute, UP Shia Central Waqf Board suggested that a Ram temple be constructed at Ayodhya while a Masjid-e-Aman be constructed at Hussainabad, Lucknow.
A draft proposal which was submitted in Supreme Court on November 18, has been endorsed by several Hindu religious leaders connected to the Ayodhya dispute. The endorsement of Sunni Central Waqf Board, the only Muslim contestant in the dispute, was however missing.
The five-point proposal includes the construction of Masjid-e-Aman in Lucknow in place of demolished Babri mosque. The proposal, a four-page document, says that there was no need of any new mosque in Ayodhya.
The proposal was found from Hindu saints Mahant Dharam Das - One of the stakeholders in the title suit, Mahant Ram Das of Nirmohi Akhara, Mahant Suuresh Das of Digambar Akhara and VHP leader and former MP Ramvilas Das Vedanti along with Akhara Parishad Chairman Narendra Giri.
The other points include the withdrawal of claim by Shia Waqf Board on Babri mosque and that the new mosque not be named after an invader like Babar and instead be named Masjid-e-Aman.
For the proposed new mosque, the Board has already sent a proposal to UP government seeking allotment of nazul land in the Old City area of Lucknow.
Chairman of Shia Waqf Board Waseem Rizvi flanked by Akhara Parishad chairman Mahant Giri said a press conference in Lucknow on Monday that the new mosque would be constructed in Husdainabad area of Lucknow.
“Ayodhya is a place of temples and there was no need of a mosque. The new Masjid-e-Aman in Lucknow could be built on government land in Hussainabad area in front of Clock Tower. We will ask the government to give us one acre of land for the new mosque and it will be constructed by funds collected from the people,” Rizvi said.
Waseem Rizvi demanded a high-level probe into irregularities by UP Sunni Central Waqf Board in rejecting the claim of Shias on Babri mosque which was originally a Shia Waqf property.
Rizvi claimed that the registration of Babri mosque as property of Sunni Central Waqf Board was rejected in 1944 by a competent court and hence Sunni Waqf Board could not be a party in the Ayodhya dispute. He clarified that an Allahabad High Court judgement on September 30, 2010 mentioned only about Muslim sides without specifying any Muslim sect or organization.
Rizvi said that the now the ball was in the SC’s court and it wold have to decide on the formula submitted by Shia Waqf Board. The Supreme Court is likely to commence a day-to-day hearing in the case from December 5.
Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad chairman Narendra Giri welcomed the proposal and the support of Shia Central Waqf Board for Ram temple.
``Like Shia Waqf Board, all other Muslim outfits should come forward and extend their support for a grand Ram temple at Ayodhya as it is now well known that none can prevent its construction,” Giri said. Other Hindu saints, who endorsed Shia Waqf Board proposal, were not present in the press conference.