Rajeev Dhavan to argue review petitions by Muslim parties in Ayodhya case if open hearing takes place: AIMPLB

Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan will argue a batch of review petitions by Muslim parties in the Ayodhya case if the open hearing takes place in the Supreme Court, AIMPLB's Zafaryab Jilani said on Friday.

Seven petitions supported by All India Personal Law Board (AIMPBL) have been filed in the Supreme Court seeking review of its November 9 order that ruled in favour of Hindu parties in the Ramjanmbhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute.

"Dr Rajiv Dhawan will be representing us. He has also settled this review petition and we have given his name (in these petitions) also. He is our senior counsel," Jilani said when asked if Dhavan will argue the cases in an open hearing if granted.

On Tuesday, Dhavan, who represented the Sunni Waqf Board and other Muslim parties in the Ayodhya title dispute case, claimed that he was sacked from the case.

"Just been sacked from the Babri case by AOR Ejaz Maqbool who was representing the Jamiat. Have sent a formal letter accepting the 'sacking' without demur. No longer involved in the review or the case," Dhavan wrote in a Facebook post.

"I have been informed that Mr Madani has indicated that I was removed from the case because I was unwell. This is total nonsense. He has a right to instruct his lawyer AOR Ejaz Maqbool to sack me which he did on instructions. But the reason being floated is malicious and untrue," he had said.

Later, AOR Ejaz Maqbool sought to play down the issue and said that Dhavan's name was not given in Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind's review petition due to his unavailability.

On November 9, the apex court had awarded the disputed land to the deity Ram Lalla and asked the Centre and the state government to give the Sunni Waqf Board a five-acre plot in Ayodhya to build a mosque.