What Would The Supreme Court Judgment Be Had Babri Masjid Not Been Demolished, Asks Owaisi

Hyderabad: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday said the Supreme Court verdict on the Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi land dispute was a "victory of belief over facts" and suggested rejection of an alternative five-acre plot given for construction of a mosque.

A five-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, granted the ownership of the 2.77 acres of disputed site in Ayodhya to the Hindus parties, paving the way for the construction of a Ram Temple, and ruled that Muslim parties will get five acres of land at an alternative site.

The Hyderabad MP said he was not satisfied with the ruling and that he agreed with the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), which has said it may file a review petition against the apex court's challenge decision.

Owaisi quoted former CJI JS Verma that the "Supreme Court is supreme...and final but not infallible".

"This is a 'victory of faith over facts' judgement," Owaisi said.

He said the mosque was demolished by the Sangh Parivar with the help of the Congress, and Muslims in the country have been deceived by all political parties.

On the court's decision giving an alternative plot to the Muslim parties for the construction of a mosque, Owaisi said the Muslim side was fighting for legal rights and does not need a donation from anyone. In his personal opinion, Owaisi said the offer to the Muslim side should be rejected.

"We don't need anyone's donation (of land)... There is no need to patronise us. Even today, if I beg on Hyderabad's roads, definitely people will give so much money that I will buy five acres in Uttar Pradesh," he said.

Alleging the Sangh Parivar and BJP are leading the country towards a "Hindu Rashtra", he said "the people who demolished the Babri Masjid in 1992, the same people were asked to form a trust and start temple construction".

"Now, the Sangh Parivar and BJP will start from Ayodhya and NRC, Citizenship Amendment Bill... the BJP will use it," he said.

Owaisi questioned as to what would have been the Supreme Court's decision had the Babri Masjid not been demolished in 1992 and idols were not placed in 1949. He claimed that the disputed structure was "sacrificed" because of the Sangh Parivar and conspiracy of the Congress.

"We keep saying to our future generations that there was a Masjid for 500 years and on 6th December, 1992, the Masjid was sacrificed due to Sangh Parivar and conspiracy of Congress in front of the whole world and they misled the Supreme Court," he said.

Quoting the apex court judgement, he said: "The court has agreed that, in the ASI report, there was no mention of temple (at the disputed site). Court has also said that we used to pray inside the mosque. I don't understand the exercise of Article 142 of the Constitution by the Supreme Court. It is unusual. We are not satisfied with this."

Owaisi said he had the right to express his opinion that he is not satisfied, which cannot be termed as contempt of court.

Stating that he was not against peace and nothing would happen in the country, the Hyderabad MP said, “Truth needs to be spoken.”

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board, one of the main litigants in the case, welcomed the verdict and said it has no plans to challenge it.

(With inputs from PTI)