Muslim law board rejects member's Ayodhya compromise formula, says 'it's his personal opinion'

Bengaluru: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Friday rejected a compromise formula presented by Maulana Salman Nadwi, one of its prominent members, on the peaceful resolution of the Ayodhya dispute.

Distancing itself from Nadvi, the AIMPLB said that it is his personal opinion and does not reflect the stand of the board. 

“It’s his personal opinion and the Muslim board rejects it. There can’t be any compromise on the mosque,” added another member Kamaal Farooqui.  

The reaction from the law board came after Nadwi, a prominent member of the AIMPLB today backed the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Hinting at a peaceful solution to the Ram temple dispute, Maulana Salman Nadwi said, ''Islam allows you to shift a masjid (mosque) to another site, Ram Mandir should be constructed in Ayodhya to set an example of communal harmony.”

Nadvi, who is the executive member of the AIMPLB, made these remarks following his meeting with the Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

Nadvi also called for the construction of a university at the disputed site.

“The temple already exists at the disputed site. Land should be offered at some other place where a mosque and a university could be constructed,” Nadvi told a TV news channel.

Referring to the Ram temple dispute, Nadvi said that their priority is to join hearts of people and strengthen the secular fabric of the country. 

On his meeting with the AoL founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Nadvi said, ''We held a meeting so that all issues around the matter especially that of Ram Temple and Babri Masjid are discussed and we look for a solution which sends message across the nation. Our priority is to join hearts of people."

When Court's verdict comes, it'll be constitutional move but Court doesn't join people's hearts. Decision is always in favor of one & against the other. We want that when both parties come out of Court they must be happy: Salman Nadwi, AIMPLB on meeting with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar pic.twitter.com/ZD1rJNCW6Q — ANI (@ANI) February 9, 2018

While suggesting that an out-of-the-court settlement is possible in the Ram temple-Babari Masjid dispute, Nadvi said the courts do not join people's heart as the verdict is always in favour of one and against the other.

"When court's verdict comes, it will be constitutional move but the court does not join people's hearts. A decision is always in favour of one and against the other. We want that when both parties come out of Court they must be happy," the AIMPLB executive member said.

However, Nadvi's open support to the construction of a Ram Temple did not go well with the AIMPLB.

The AIMPLB has renewed its effort to find an amicable solution to the Ayodhya dispute as the Supreme Court started hearing the case on Thursday.

Last year in November, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar grabbed headlines when he visited Lucknow and Ayodhya to mediate between Muslim and Hindu stakeholders in the long-pending dispute.

The six-member AIMPLB delegation -Maulana Salman Husaini Nadvi, UP Sunni Central Waqf Board chairperson Zufar Farooqui, former IAS officer Anis Ansari, advocate Imran Ahmed, Maulana Wasif Hasan Waizi of Teeli Wali Masjid and director of Objective Research and Development Athar Husain - had a three-hour meeting with the Art of Living founder on Thursday in Bengaluru.

On Thursday, the three-judge Supreme Court bench fixed March 14 as the next date of hearing in Ayodhya case as some of the documents and translations were yet to be filed before the apex court.

The Supreme Court was likely to start 'final hearings' on a batch of 13 petitions over the 2.7-acre disputed Ayodhya site that is claimed by both Hindus and Muslims.

The petitions before the judges relate to the 2010 verdict of the Allahabad High Court in the title suit that had been pending for nearly six decades. 

The dispute before the court was whether the 2.7 acres of disputed land on which the Babri Masjid stood before it was demolished on December 6, 1992, belongs to the Sunni Central Waqf Board or to the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha.

Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute is a century old point of a tussle between the Hindus and Muslims.

The mosque was demolished by Hindu Karsevaks on December 6, 1992, in Ayodhya. The country witnessed massive riots in which over 2000 people were killed.

The Hindus claim that it is the birthplace of Lord Rama where a mosque was built in 1528-29 CE (935 AH) by Mir Baqi. Since the mosque was built on orders of the Mughal emperor Babur, it was named Babri Masjid.

Two FIRs were filed after the disputed structure was demolished - Crime no 197 deals with actual "demolition of the mosque by kar sevaks." 

Crime no 198 named senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and others for 'communal' speeches before the demolition.

In May last year, a Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Lucknow charged senior BJP leaders Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Union Minister Uma Bharti with criminal conspiracy in Babri Masjid demolition case. 

They are facing trial in the conspiracy case almost 25 years after the Mughal-era mosque was demolished by kar sevaks. All the accused were granted bail by the Court but it rejected the discharge petition and said charges would be framed against them. 

(With ANI inputs)