Babri Masjid taken away systematically: Owaisi on Ram Janmabhoomi dispute

Raking up the title deed dispute surrounding the Ram Janmabhoomi as the nation counts down to the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony on January 22, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday said the Babri Masjid was taken away from the Muslims in a 'very systematic manner'.

After a prolonged movement involving a number of court sittings and litigations, a five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court ruled the title dispute in favour of the Hindus in a landmark ruling, giving primacy to the claim that the Babri mosque was built on the ruins of a temple at Ram Janmabhoomi in the 16th century.

The apex court based its ruling on the findings of a survey by the Archaological Survey of India (ASI), determining that the mosque was raised on the ruins of a Ram temple.

However, as has been widely reported, the mosque was razed by Kar Sevaks in 1992, triggering communal riots across the country that claimed scores of lives.

Kar Sevaks later pitched tent at the demolition site and started worshipping an idol of Ram Lalla inside it.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Owaisi said, "Muslims offered namaz in Babri Masjid for 500 years. When the Congress''s Govind Ballabh Pant was the CM of Uttar Pradesh, idols were placed inside the masjid. (KKK) Nair was the district magistrate of Ayodhya at the time. He shut the masjid down and started worshipping there. There was no Ram Mandir in Ayodhya when the VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) was founded. Mahatma Gandhi never said anything about Ram Mandir."

"However, the Babri Masjid was taken away from us in a systematic manner. Had GB Pant removed those idols back in the day and the Masjid not been demolished in 1992, we wouldn't have seen what we are seeing today. Even Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, whose party (AAP) is a partner in the INDIA bloc, talked about holding Sunderkand Paath and chanting Hanuman Chalisa on Tuesdays. Everyone is busy wooing voters of the majority community," Owaisi added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform the rituals around the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony on January 22. The main rituals will be officiated by a special complement of top seers chosen from across the country.

The team of priests will be led by Lakshmikant Dixit. Several celebrities and top dignitaries have been invited to the 'Pran Prathistha' of Shri Ram Lalla on January 22.