Ayodhya verdict: Jamiat undecided over filing review, forms panel to take call

Prominent Muslim body Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind's executive committee has been unable to come to a consensus on whether to file a review petition on the Supreme Court's Ayodhya verdict and formed a panel on Friday to decide on it after consulting with lawyers and experts.

The panel comprises Jamiat chief Maulana Arshad Madani, Maulana Asjad Madani, Maulana Habibur Rahman Qasmi, Fazalur Rahman Qasmi and advocate Ijaz Maqbool.

An emergency meeting of the working committee of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind was held to review the recent Supreme Court verdict under the chairmanship of Maulana Arshad Madani at the central office of the Muslim body here, a statement said.

"Babri Masjid was a mosque in the eyes of law and justice and it is still a mosque according to Shariah and will remain so till the Day of Resurrection regardless of its structure and name," the Jamiat executive committee said in a statement.

"This is because no individual or party has the right to withdraw the claim of mosque in return of an alternative piece of land," it added.

It was decided at the working committee meeting that a panel should be constituted which, after consulting with lawyers and experts, would decide whether to submit a review petition or not.

Sources said most of Jamiat office-bearers were not in favour of filing a review petition on the Ayodhya judgment, but some were insisting that it was important to challenge the decision.

Maulana Arshad Madani had on Thursday said the Sunni Waqf Board should not accept the five-acre plot, which the Supreme Court in its Ayodhya judgment has directed the Centre to allot for a mosque.

He had said the Jamiat had asserted that the apex court verdict in the Ayodhya case, based on evidence, will be respected by it.

Maulana Arshad Madani, however, had also said the judgment was "beyond understanding".