Muslims groups disappointed; says verdict a 'balancing act'

Prominent Muslim groups today expressed disappointment over the Ayodhya verdict saying it was more like a "balancing act" than settling of a title suit even as the Sunni Wakf Board announced that they will move the apex court on the issue.

Sunni Wakf Board, whose suit was rejected by the court, said it will move the Supreme Court against the Allahabad high court order dividing the disputed land in Ayodhya among three parties.

"We will appeal against the division of disputed land among three parties. HC's formula of one-third land is not acceptable to the Waqf Board and it will appeal against it in the apex court," Board lawyer Zafaryab Jilani said.

However, he said, the Sunni Board is open to any negotiated settlement on the issue if such a proposal came to it. "Talks can happen if a proposal comes."

SQR Ilyas, convener of All India Muslim Personnel Law Board, said he was "disappointed" at the verdict which appeared more of a "balancing act", a view echoed by Jamiat Ulema Hind's Abdul Hamid Nomani who noted that the order did not look like a "court verdict" on a title suit and looks more like an "arrangement or a settlement".

Ilyas said the basic issue of title suit does not appear to have been addressed by the verdict.

"If the land belongs to a temple, what is the logic of giving a part of it to the mosque or vice versa. A judiciary has to give a categorical answer to settle the title suit," he said.

Manzoor Alam of All India Milli Council said the judgement was "full of confusion and contradiction and judges do not appear to have gone on facts and evidence and they went on belief."

Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid Syed Ahmed Bukhari said "the doors of the Supreme Court, which is the last bastion of the legal battle was still open."

Jilani said the Board has time to appeal in the SC as status quo would be maintained for the next 90 days.

"The Board will move the apex court after a meeting of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board. We are not in hurry as we have 90 days time to appeal as a matter of right," Jilani said.

Hyderabad-based All India Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) also expressed disappointment over the court verdict and said the judgment should be challenged in the Supreme Court.

"The Allahabad high court judgement is disappointing. The 1/3rd division of the land is not acceptable to Muslims. So, it is obvious that an appeal will be filed in the Supreme Court," MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi said.