The Hindu : Shahi Imam attacks Muslim Law Board

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 26, 2003

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Shahi Imam attacks Muslim Law Board

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI JUNE 25. The Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, has charged that the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board was getting ready to give up all claims to the disputed Babri masjid site in Ayodhya when the board's working committee meets in Lucknow on July 6 to consider the Ayodhya proposal of the Kanchi Sankaracharya, Jayendra Saraswati.

In a statement released to the press here today, the Shahi Imam's office reiterated its earlier stand — only a court verdict was acceptable to it and added that Muslims had not authorised the AIMPLB to speak or decide on their behalf.

The Kanchi seer's ``secret'' formula for resolution of the Ayodhya dispute has already annoyed the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and created a rift between the BJP and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and now it seems it has resulted in serious tensions between the Shahi Imam and the AIMPLB. The Shahi Imam said that ``Muslims have never authorised the Muslim Personal Law Board or any other organisation or individual to talk with aggressive organisations without getting the idols removed (from the site of the Babri Masjid).''

Referring to the hope expressed by the Kanchi seer that some solution would be found to the Ayodhya problem on July 7, he pointed out that the AIMPLB working committee was scheduled to meet and discuss the seer's proposals on the issue the day earlier.

The Imam charged: ``All preparations have been completed for (Muslims) giving up claim on Babri Masjid.'' He rejected such a solution and said that Muslims and their organisations had decided earlier that the solution should be a court verdict, whichever way it went.

AIMPLB to go ahead with meet

PTI reports from Lucknow:

Ignoring opposition from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to a negotiated settlement of the vexed Ayodhya tangle on the basis of the Kanchi seer's formula, the AIMPLB today made it clear that it would go ahead with its proposed July 6 meeting of the working committee to discuss the seer's proposals.

``The VHP's opposition will have no affect on the board's working committee meeting slated for July 6 to consider the seer's formula,'' the AIMPLB spokesman Maulana Sajjad Nomani said.

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