Sunni Waqf Board undecided on five-acre land offer in Ayodhya verdict

Ayodhya: After the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) decided to go for a review petition against the Supreme Court`s Ayodhya verdict, the Sunni Central Waqf Board is seeking legal opinion on whether to accept the five-acre plot offer for a mosque in Ayodhya.

In what will go down in history as one of its most landmark verdicts, the Supreme Court on November 9 granted the ownership of the 2.77 acres of disputed land in Ayodhya to the Hindus, paving the way for the construction of a Ram Temple, and ruled that the Muslims will get 5 acres of land at an alternative site.

According to reports, four out of seven litigants at AIMPLB`s meeting on Sunday gave their nod to file the review petition.

The Sunni Waqf Board has already announced that it won`t go for a review petition. However, the Board is not sure whether to accept the offer of five-acre land for building a mosque in Ayodhya.

After the SC verdict, almost all the Muslim litigants and representatives of the Muslim community had expressed that either the land be allotted to them in the `acquired` area of 67 acres, else they will not accept the offer.

The Supreme Court had allotted the five-acre land outside the 67 acres of acquired area at a prominent and suitable place in Ayodhya.

According to Zufar Farooqui, Chairman of Sunni Waqf Board, "As of now, it has to be seen whether the board can refuse to take the five-acre land for the construction of a mosque as ruled by the Supreme Court. Will it amount to contempt of court? The board has started taking legal opinion on the matter."

Farooqui said there were divergent views within the Board on the matter and a final decision will be taken at the Board`s meeting on November 26.