Ayodhya case: Full faith in judiciary, say Muslim clerics

Two days before the hearing in the ongoing Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi case is set to resume, two Muslim clerics here on Wednesday said that they have full faith in the judiciary and the Muslim bodies would respect the apex court's verdict.

Mufti Ufti Azhar Hussain Meiya (Nayab Shahar Qazi) and Hafiz Athar Usmani (General Secretary Majlis Ettihad-e-Mittal) of Darul Uloom Deoband, one of the largest Islamic seminaries in the country, also said they could furnish evidence to prove that the mosque had existed at the disputed site, but they would not do it as the matter was sub-judice.

"Like the Hindu organisations, we can furnish proof that there was a mosque at the disputed site, but such a step will be disrespectful towards the court, which is yet to decide on the matter," they said.

The clerics also said the central government should keep Hindu organisations under check and stop them from making any provocative statements, especially as the matter was sub judice and the communal harmony remained undisturbed.

The Babri Masjid was demolished on December 12, 1992, by Hindu zealots, who believed that the Ram Temple had been destroyed to build the mosque. The demolition led to large-scale communal riots across the country.