Muslim Law Board to challenge Ayodhya verdict

The Hindu

New Delhi, 16 October 2010: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has decided to challenge the verdict of the Allahabad High Court on the Babri Masjid title suit in the Supreme Court. A resolution to this effect was adopted unanimously at the working committee of the board in Lucknow on Saturday. The meeting at the Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama here was presided over by the AIMPLB president, Maulana Rabey Hasni Nadwi.

 

The decision sets at rest speculation on the Law Board’s move in respect to the High Court verdict. The working committee authorised the president and general secretary to take a decision on what capacity the AIMPLB would approach the Supreme Court — either as an intervener, or in some other capacity. The UP Sunni Central Waqf Board, one of the four main parties to the Babri title suit has already decided to move the Supreme Court against the September 30 verdict of the Allahabad High Court.

 

Briefing newspersons, the Assistant General Secretary and the Board’s spokesman, Abdur Rahim Quraishi said it was the unanimous opinion of the working committee members that the verdict should be challenged in the Supreme Court. Mr. Quraishi said the verdict of the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court was discussed in the meeting and the meeting felt that the judgement suffers from a number of infirmities.

 

 

The unanimous resolution adopted at the meeting said “ the executive committee of the AIMPLB considers it to be the right and obligation of the Indian Muslims to challenge the judgement in the apex court and remove distortions introduced by the judgement in the basic values of the Constitution and the established norms of jurisprudence”.

 

On the possibility of the Ayodhya issue being settled through reconciliation, Mr. Quraishi said no concrete proposal for talks had so far emerged and discussions can only be held on a specific proposal. However, the board’s assistant secretary general added that presently there is no such proposal from the Law Board’s side.”If there is a proposal from the ’other side’ it would be examined in the light of the Constitution, principles of the Shariat and the dignity of the Muslims “, Mr. Quraishi emphasized.

 

The oldest surviving litigant, Mohammed Hashim Ansari’s efforts towards finding an amicable settlement to the Ayodhya dispute has not been given much importance by the board. “Mr. Ansari’s efforts were in his individual capacity”, it was stated.