Ayodhya Verdict: Sunni Board welcomes decision, drops review plea idea

The board’s counsel Zafaryab Jilani had, in fact, initially said in New Delhi that the verdict would be challenged

The Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board, one of the main litigants in the Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri Masjid case, on Saturday welcomed the Supreme Court verdict and said it had no plans to challenge it.

The board’s chairman, Zafar Ahmad Farooqui, said, “As of now, the verdict is being studied thoroughly after which the board will issue a detailed statement. If any lawyer or any other person says that the decision will be challenged by the board, it should not be taken as correct.”

The board’s counsel Zafaryab Jilani had, in fact, initially said in New Delhi that the verdict would be challenged.

“The Ayodhya verdict has a lot of contradictions. We will seek a review as we are not satisfied with the verdict,” he had said.

Later, he clarified that the press conference where he had made the claim was organised by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and he had reacted as its secretary and not as the counsel for the Sunni Waqf Board.

The board had last month proposed withdrawing the claim on the disputed land with some conditions in the national interest.

Shia Waqf Board welcomes decision

The Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board, whose appeal was dismissed by the Supreme Court while delivering the unanimous decision on the Ayodhya case on Saturday, has welcomed the verdict.

“The Shia Central Waqf Board congratulates the people of the country, especially those who fought the legal battle in a dignified manner,” board Chairman Waseem Rizvi said in a statement.

“The dismissal of the Shia Central Waqf Board claim is not a big thing. It had only said the Ram temple should be constructed in Ayodhya and, therefore, today’s verdict is a victory for the board,” Rizvi said.

He also said, “It has been said that the mosque there was built by Mir Baqi, who was a Shia, and, if in return for that structure a 5-acre land is being provided, the Shia Board should have a claim over it.”

He added, “We will not file any review petition for this purpose as we accept the decision.”

‘Court ruling is supreme’

Prominent Muslim body Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind on Saturday said the SC’s verdict in the Ayodhya case was not according to its expectations but asserted that the apex court ruling was “supreme”.

Jamiat President Maulana Arshad Madani also urged Muslims to not be disappointed.

Madani appealed to the Muslims to maintain peace and harmony in the country and asked them to not take the verdict as a “win or loss”.