Shift Babri mosque away from Ayodhya site: Shia Waqf Board tells Indian SC

Says mosque should be relocated to nearby Muslim dominated area to conclude dispute

NEW DELHI: The Uttar Pradesh Shia central Waqf board has favoured shifting the demolished Babri mosque, days before the Indian Supreme Court is to begin a crucial hearing on the mosque dispute.

According to a Times of India report, the Shia board, also one of the parties in the litigation, has said that the mosque can be constructed away from the disputed land, a move that marks a dramatic shift in the stand, and which it says can put to rest the 70-year legal battle.



The Shia board has also suggested setting up a high-power judicial-political panel headed by a retired SC judge to amicably settle the dispute. It later pleaded the court appoint the committee also comprising two retired Allahabad high court judges, chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, the nominee of the Prime Minister besides representatives of litigating parties.

The board, in its affidavit filed in the Indian court, submitted that the mosque be relocated from the "most revered place of birth of Maryada Purushottam Sri Ram" to a nearby Muslim dominated area to conclude the dispute over the 2.77 acres of land which houses a makeshift temple of Ram Lalla.

The Shia stand is, however, likely to put the board against the Sunni Waqf Board. While Sunnis comprise a majority of Muslims in India, the decision of a section of the community represented through the Shia waqf board is significant. This is the first time that religious board has favoured shifting of the mosque, said the TOI.



Shia Board said in its affidavit that Sunni Central Waqf Board should not be involved in exploring peaceful settlement of the dispute as "it is under the dominant control of hardliners, fanatics and non-believer in peaceful coexistence, who have absolutely no stakes in the case".

The Shia board said, "It is of the view that closeness of place of worships— Masjid [mosque] and Mandir— of the two litigating denominations, should be avoided in as much as both denominations using loudspeakers tend to disturb the religious performances of each other, often leading to conflicts, bringing acrimony between the two factions. The answering respondent is of the view that to bring quietus, Masjid can be located in a Muslim dominated area at a reasonable distance from the most revered place of birth of Maryada Purishottam Sri Ram." The affidavit was filed by advocate MC Dhingra.

Though Shia waqf board along with the Sunni waqf board have been fighting a legal battle since 1945 claiming ownership of Babri Masjid, the HC gave its verdict in favour of the Sunni Board when it divided the disputed plot three ways between the Board, Ram Lalla, Nirmohi Akhara. The Allahabad High Court order came on September 30, 2010. The verdict was challenged by different parties before the Indian SC but no progress has been made so far and it is pending since 2010. Agreeing to grant an early hearing, the apex court has posted the case to August 11.



The Shia Waqf board in its affidavit said that out-of-court settlement should be explored to end the dispute, the Indian newspaper report added.

"Considering the Muslim tenets of living in peace and harmony and respecting the religious sentiments of other communities following different religions, in the instant case Hindu Community, it is ready and willing to conclude the peaceful settlement of the dispute, which it fondly hopes will be acceptable to all the stake holders," it said.

The demolition of the Babri mosque in northern Uttar Pradesh state unleashed some of the deadliest religious riots across India since 1947, killing about 2,000 people.

This story originally appeared on the Times of India.