Sunni Waqf Board Lawyer Zafaryab Jilani has issued another controversial statement on the Ayodhya Verdict. He said that the verdict delivered by the five-judge bench was not final and that he was not satisfied with the verdict and was planning to file a review petition.
“The Supreme Court has already overruled more than a dozen decisions of these five judges,” he told IANS in an interview. He added, “A bench of 13 judges has been formed. The Supreme Court never says that the decision of the five judges is final and has to be accepted. Those who do not know the history of the law must be surprised to file a review petition.”
Jilani said further, “My written statement is we will accept the final decision of the Supreme Court. Whatever has come, is not the final decision. Article 137 allows that one who is not satisfied with the verdict can file a review petition.” He stated, “Others do not need to give their opinion on the matter. The proposal to replace five acres of land for the mosque is against the Sharia… Islamic Sharia does not allow this. The Waqf Act also says the same. The Supreme Court cannot change the mosque land. According to Article 142, it cannot go against any institution.”
The Sunni Waqf Board Lawyer also said that it didn’t matter if the party he represented was not willing to file a review petition. He said, “Whether or not it can file a reconsideration petition, doesn”t matter in our case. The Muslim community does not approve this decision. If the Sunni Waqf Board has to go against the reconsideration petition, go. A party cannot do anything in it.” Jilani also said that there are 200 million Muslims in this country, it didn’t matter if two laks were satisfied with the verdict.
Jilani has been issuing controversial statements ever since the verdict was delivered. Even on the day the verdict was delivered, Jilani said that he wasn’t happy with the verdict. This was when the litigant himself was happy that the verdict was delivered and said that he respected it.
On its part, the Sunni Waqf Board itself has been flip-flopping on the matter. The day the verdict was delivered, they had rejected their lawyer’s assertion and said that they will not be filing any review petition on the matter. Later, while they made it clear that they will not challenge the verdict, they said that will take a decision on whether to accept the 5-acre land by the 26th of November.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) meanwhile said on the 17th of November that it will file a review petition against the verdict and decided to reject the 5-acre land offered by the Supreme Court. The Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, a key litigant in the matter backtracked on its decision to file a review petition.
Thus, ever since the verdict was delivered, there has been continuous efforts to keep the Ayodhya verdict in the news. Asaduddin Owaisi, on the other hand, has been on a tirade against the verdict and quite blatantly attempting to invoke communal passions. At a time when the country welcome the verdict, a deliberate attempt appears to be underway to vitiate communal harmony.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Muslim community of the country has accepted the verdict and even if not of all them liked it, they have made peace with it and want to move ahead with their lives. However, a sinister agenda appears to be underway to keep alive the conflicts of the past so that mistrust between the communities can be milked to retain their power.
The Ram Janmabhoomi has been a volatile issue ever since independence. The centuries old dispute finally received a closure after the Supreme Court paved the way for a Bhavya Ram Mandir at the sacred site. However, it appears that some people do not seek a closure on the matter. They wish to keep the nation embroiled in the conflict so that they continue to benefit at the country’s expense.
