LUCKNOW: The UP Sunni Central Waqf Board on Monday said that it accepts the government alloted 5 acre land which will have a mosque, an Indo-Islamic Cultural centre, a charitable hospital, and a public library among other facilities.
Board chairperson Zufar Ahmad Faruqi presided over the board's meeting on the day and made the announcement soon after all resolutions regarding the 5 acre land were passed by the members present. Of the eight members including Faruqi, two members did not attend the meeting.
"Board will constitute a Trust which will raise funds to build a mosque at the alloted site. The size of the mosque will be decided as per local requirement of the area which has a considerable Muslim population. The trust will be constituted very soon and names of office bearers will be shared then," said chairperson Faruqi while addressing the media here in Lucknow.
Faruqi maintained silence when he was asked if the name of the mosque will be Babri Masjid.
"We are satisfied with where the land has been given because the Muslim population around it will ensure safety and no further disputes on the matter," he added.
Earlier on February 20, Faruqi had told TOI that the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board has already accepted the five-acre alternative land given by the state government for the construction of a mosque in Ayodhya as per Supreme Court’s order. Board chairperson Zufar Faruqi had then said that “it never had the liberty to reject it” once it had said that it would abide by the apex court’s verdict.
"The question of accepting or rejecting the land was never raised by us. Those who had not been given the land by SC were making all the noise about not accepting it. We had decided to follow the apex court's decision," Faruqi told TOI.
He further elaborated: "The November 9, 2019 apex court order was very clear that the state government will allot us a plot and we had liberty to build a mosque and associated amenities on it. We did not have the liberty of not accepting the land as that would have been contempt of court."
Board chairperson Zufar Ahmad Faruqi presided over the board's meeting on the day and made the announcement soon after all resolutions regarding the 5 acre land were passed by the members present. Of the eight members including Faruqi, two members did not attend the meeting.
"Board will constitute a Trust which will raise funds to build a mosque at the alloted site. The size of the mosque will be decided as per local requirement of the area which has a considerable Muslim population. The trust will be constituted very soon and names of office bearers will be shared then," said chairperson Faruqi while addressing the media here in Lucknow.
Faruqi maintained silence when he was asked if the name of the mosque will be Babri Masjid.
"We are satisfied with where the land has been given because the Muslim population around it will ensure safety and no further disputes on the matter," he added.
Earlier on February 20, Faruqi had told TOI that the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board has already accepted the five-acre alternative land given by the state government for the construction of a mosque in Ayodhya as per Supreme Court’s order. Board chairperson Zufar Faruqi had then said that “it never had the liberty to reject it” once it had said that it would abide by the apex court’s verdict.
"The question of accepting or rejecting the land was never raised by us. Those who had not been given the land by SC were making all the noise about not accepting it. We had decided to follow the apex court's decision," Faruqi told TOI.
He further elaborated: "The November 9, 2019 apex court order was very clear that the state government will allot us a plot and we had liberty to build a mosque and associated amenities on it. We did not have the liberty of not accepting the land as that would have been contempt of court."
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