JOIN USThe oldest litigant in the Ram temple-Babri masjid case, Hashim Ansari, is now in a tough spot after it emerged that he has handed over the baton to his son, Iqbal Ansari, and has made him a party in the matter replacing himself.
Hashim Ansari, who had been waging a legal battle for the mosque for the past 64 years, had declared a few days back that he was withdrawing from the case.
Sources close to Ansari said the decision to hand over the baton to his son had been taken by Ansari several months back.
“An affidavit to this effect has already been prepared and is likely to be filed in the court shortly,” said an aide of Ansari in Ayodhya. Sources said that Ansari, in the affidavit, has pleaded that he has been suffering from a heart ailment. He said he has grown weaker owing to his age and was not in a position to pursue the matter. Hence, he wanted his son to replace him.
The revelation put him in a tight spot with the other petitioners in the case accusing him of trying to gain cheap publicity by declaring that he was withdrawing from the case and that he wanted to see “Ram Lala” (idol of Lord Rama at the makeshift Ram Temple at Ayodhya).
“It is now clear. Hashim Ansari was only trying to dramatise. He had already planned the move,” said a petitioner.
The new revelation was also likely to “dampen” the spirits of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) camp, which was trying to put across a message that the Muslims were ready for an out-of-court settlement.
Ansari declared in Ayodhya on Tuesday that he would no longer be a party to the dispute and would not take part in the protests, which were to be held at Ayodhya on Saturday, the 22nd anniversary day of the masjid demolition.