Daijiworld Media Network - Ayodhya (SHP)
Ayodhya, Feb 26: Since the historic judgement over the Ayodhya land dispute, the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board's decision on the five-acre plot was pending. Although the Board was asked to challenge the Supreme Court judgement, the former made it clear that it was unlikely. On Monday the Board announced that it will build a mosque as well as an Indo-Islamic research centre, a hospital and a library on the five-acre plot allotted to it Ayodhya verdict.
Following a board meeting, the decision to accept the land was taken. Addressing the reporters, board chairman Zufar Farooqui said, "It has been decided at a meeting of the board to take the five-acre land given to us by the UP government."
Farooqui also stated that a trust will be set-up by the Board for the construction of the mosque. When asked if planned mosque would be named after the demolished Babri Masjid, Farooqui said, "It will be decided by the trust. The board has nothing to do with it."
"Besides the mosque, there will be an Indo-Islamic research centre, a public library, a charitable hospital and other useful facilities on the land. The size of the mosque will be decided to keep in mind local needs," he added.
The historic verdict that took place in November over the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute, the Supreme Court had ruled in favour of the construction of a temple. It also ordered that an alternative five-acre plot must be found for a mosque within Ayodhya.
The 16th-century Babri mosque that stood on the disputed site in Ayodhya was demolished in 1992 by Karsevaks, on claims that originally there was a Ram temple at the same spot.
After the SC verdict, there were suggestions that the Muslim community should build a public facility, like a hospital in the alternative five-acre plot.
"Following the Supreme Court verdict, the Sunni Waqf Board does not have the choice of rejecting the five-acre alternative land for the construction of a mosque in Ayodhya as it would amount to contempt of court," Farooqui had said earlier.
Including Farooqui, the Sunni Waqf Board has eight members. Six of them attended the meeting.
Based on the SC verdict, the Centre had asked the Uttar Pradesh government to allot five acres of land to the Sunni Waqf Board. The government did so and provided an allotment letter for a plot at Dhannipur village in Ayodhya's Sohawal area, about 20 km from the district headquarters on the Ayodhya-Lucknow highway.