LUCKNOW: While welcoming the Supreme Court order over Ayodhya title suit on 2.77-acre disputed land, the Sunni Central Waqf Board (SCWB) chairman Zufur Farooqui sounded a bit unsure on Sunday on accepting the 5-acre land for constructing a mosque in Ayodhya.
The Sunni Waqf Board chief claimed that the final decision on the issue of acceptance of land would be taken only after consulting the community members at a proposed meeting of Sunni Waqf Board likely to be convened on November 26.
In the verdict delivered by it to resolve the 500-year-old dispute on Saturday, the Supreme Court directed the Centre to form a trust to proceed with the construction of a temple in Ayodhya and also allot a 5-acre alternative plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for mosque construction.
Farooqui claimed that he was getting views from different quarters of the Muslim community about the acceptance of the land for the mosque. “I will convene a meet of the board and discuss the matter with the members and only then will be able to comment on it,” he said.
"Board's next general body meeting is likely to be convened on November 26 in wherein the issue will be taken up for discussion if we will accept 5-acre land as directed by the Supreme Court or not," said Farooqui.
“Actually, we had never sought any land from the court. However, the Supreme Court’s decision to award us land is a welcome gesture,” he added.
Over the reported statement of AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi that the Muslim community did not need the five-acre land in charity as the SC order had ordered and that the Muslim should dismiss the proposal, the Sunni Waqf Board chairman tied to disassociate himself from the statement saying it was his personal opinion and had nothing to do with the Sunni Waqf Board.
He also said that the court had not dismissed the claim of Sunni Waqf Board rather it had given a line of order over it.
When asked to elaborate on the proposal of rejecting the land for mosque construction, Farooqui said that in his opinion, positivity should always be given a chance instead of any negativity as it only widened the wedge between communities. “Rejecting the land will lead to further negativity,” he said sharing that some thoughts over accepting land and building the mosque along with a school on it had arrived him.
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Shortly after Jilani spoke at a news briefing on Saturday after the deliverance of SC order, Zufar Farooqui had issued a statement saying the Board would not go for a review of the verdict or file a curative petition.
Reiterating his stand on Sunday, the Sunni Waqf Board chairperson said, “If anyone is saying that a review petition will be filed, it should not be taken as a statement on behalf of the board, it may be an individual opinion.” he said.
Earlier also, Farooqui had chosen to differ with the AIMPLB’s stand on the matter when he participated in the court-ordered mediation process in October. “We had always maintained that we will honour and abide by the court verdict, whether it is in our favour or against us...” he said.