The All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has decided to challenge the Allahabad high court verdict on the Ayodhya title suits in the Supreme Court. A unanimous decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the board’s working committee here on Saturday. The Nirmohi Akhara, a party in the title suit case, has also announced its decision to challenge the high court verdict in the Supreme Court.

The 51-member AIMPLB working committee, which met at the Nadwatul Ulama, discussed in detail the court verdict and was of the view that the court verdict was based on faith, and not on evidence, and hence was not acceptable to the community.
Interestingly, the Board termed as “illegal” the efforts being made by Mohammed Hashim Ansari, the oldest living plaintiff in the title suit case but some members were of the view that the dispute could still be resolved through dialogue.
The AIMPLB spokesman, however, ruled out the possibility of the board putting up any resolution for an out-of-court settlement. He said a temple and a mosque could exist in close proximity in Ayodhya. “There are several such instances elsewhere in the country,” he added.
The meeting was held after the September 30 verdict of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court that decided to divide the disputed plot of land in Ayodhya into three equal parts, giving one-third each to the two separate Hindu parties involved in the case and one-third to the Sunni Central Waqf Board, representing the Muslims.
The Sunni Central Waqf Board has already ruled out giving up its claim to the mosque in Ayodhya and said exploring possibilities for an amicable solution to the dispute without any concrete proposal in hand was an exercise in futility. The Waqf Board has also said that any proposal for an out-of-court settlement should be within the framework of the Shariat. The Waqf Board has made it clear that any decision of Mohammed Hashim Ansari to pull out would not impact their case. “This issue can only be sorted out when the claim of the Muslims is upheld. We cannot surrender our claim,” the board’s counsel, Zafaryab Jilani, had said.
Mahant Bhaskar Das of the Nirmohi Akhara, who has been involved in negotiations with other claimants recently, said Muslims should clarify where they want to construct the mosque. “If it is outside the periphery of the Panchkosi parikrama, we are ready to give land, but in any case will not settle for the mosque on the Janmabhoomi land,” he told reporters in Ayodhya.
The mahant said that in the high court verdict, the Nirmohi Akhara had been given land already in the Akhara’s possession. “The issue of another portion for which a suit was filed is yet to be resolved. Under such circumstances we have no other option but to move the Supreme Court,” he said. The Akhara’s mahant said he was not certain whether the ongoing negotiations would yield some results. “Though talks are on, there is no certainty that they will yield any result,” he said.
Replying to another question, the mahant said negotiations could continue even after the case reaches the Supreme Court and added that his doors were always open for talks and discussion.