Ayodhya dispute: AIMPLB supports Sibal's plea

Supporting senior lawyer and Congress leader Kapil Sibal's plea to the Supreme Court that the next hearing in the Ayodhya dispute case should be deferred till July 2019, All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) general secretary Maulana Wali Rehmani on Wednesday said it was not the right time to take up the matter for final hearing.

The AIMPLB, a leading plaintiff in the case that is also bearing the cost of litigation, also said that Sibal's plea was right as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would try to cash in on the Ram Temple issue in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The matter was heard by the Supreme Court yesterday.

"During the course of arguments, a stand was taken by the counsels representing the Muslim parties on the instruction of their respective clients, stating that it was not the right time to take up the matter for final hearing," a press release of the AIMPLB read.

The press release further read that considering the sensitivity attached to the issue and different media reports, the board is compelled to clarify its stand.

"The board also clarifies that different statements from different leaders for constructing the Ram Temple and indicating the dates and place etc. are unfortunate," the release stated.

The board also condemned the same as the case is sub judice in court and expects political statements not to be made by parties, it added.

Sibal had, yesterday, requested for the next hearing in the case to be held only in July 2019 after the completion of the next Lok Sabha polls, citing political ramifications.

Earlier in the day, the Sunni Waqf Board dissociated itself from Sibal, who had been representing the case in the Supreme Court in connection with the long-standing Ayodhya matter.

Speaking to ANI, Haji Mehboob, Sunni Waqf Board said, "Yes, Kapil Sibal is our lawyer, but he is also related to a political party. His statement in the court yesterday was wrong. We want a solution to the issue at the earliest. We have got nothing to do with his statement."

The Supreme Court yesterday deferred hearing in the case for February 8, 2018.

Following this, BJP Chief Amit Shah, in a press briefing, took a potshot at the Congress Party and its vice president, Rahul Gandhi, for adopting 'double standard' in the matter.

The Congress Party then furthered the war of words and said the BJP was raking up non-issues just to garner votes.

The Babri Masjid was built by Mughal emperor Babur in Ayodhya in 1528.

The Hindus, however, claim that a Ram temple that originally stood there was demolished to construct the mosque. Citing this, Hindu zealots demolished the mosque on December 06, 1992, triggering communal riots in various parts of the country.