Man who once claimed Taj Mahal, now eyes disputed Ayodhya land

LUCKNOW: A 46-year-old man, who once claimed to be the owner of Taj Mahal because of his 'Mughal' bloodline, has now set his sights on the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya.

'Prince' Yakub Habeebuddin Tucy says that he's a direct descendant of Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. He even presented his DNA report to support his claim.

In 2005, Tucy hit the headlines, claiming ownership of the historical monument Taj Mahal.  "The Taj is mine," he had said back then.

Twelve years later, the same man says that the demolished mosque on disputed Ayodhya site belongs to Babur and therefore, he should be appointed as the caretaker of the property.

"The Babri masjid belonged to emperor Babar, and as I am a descendant of the Mughals, I am the owner of the Babri mosque," says Tucy.

Laying claim to the land, he demanded that the Sunni Waqf Board of Uttar Pradesh declare him as the 'Mutwalli' (superintendent or manager) of the property and met state minister Chaudhary Laxmi Narain to discuss the matter.

"The minister asked me to move an application before the Sunni Waqf Board," he claimed.

Tucy threatened to move court if the Sunni Waqf Board did not appoint him as the 'Mutwalli'.

He also welcomed the reported initiative of Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in resolving the dispute.

When asked, why he didn't lay claim over the Ayodhya site since the demolition in 1992, he chose to stay mum.

In 2011, Tucy also demanded the Bharat Ratna award for Bahadur Shah Zafar.

With agency inputs