Shia Board proposes temple in Ayodhya, mosque in Lucknow

The Shia Waqf Board on Monday proposed a Ram Temple at the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid Complex and a mosque in Lucknow as part of its proposal for an out of court settlement of the dispute.

The Board also said that it was ready to withdraw its claim on the disputed land in Ayodhya.

Speaking to reporters, Board chairman Waseem Rizvi said that a five-point proposal to find a negotiated settlement to the dispute has been submitted to the Supreme Court, which is hearing the matter.

Flanked by All India Akhara Parishad president Mahant Narendra Giri, Rizvi said that the Shia Board was ready to "withdraw its claim" from the entire land in the "interest of the country" and to allow the construction of a Ram temple.

Rizvi said that the Hindu parties in the dispute would have complete control over the site and they could construct a grand temple.

He said the Board was handing over the disputed site keeping in view the "composite culture" of Avadh region and to resolve the dispute.

Rizvi said a mosque would be built on the vacant one acre land in Hussainabad area in Lucknow. "The Board has already applied to the state government for the allotment of land," he said.

Rizvi also said that the Board would construct the mosque with its own resources and would name it 'Masjid-e-Aman' (mosque of peace) and not after any Mughal emperor as it had triggered riots in the country and claimed thousands of lives.

The draft of the five-point proposal contained the signatures of several Hindu seers, including Narendra Giri, Hanumangarhi priest Mahant Dharm Das and others.

Rizvi said that the Sunni Central Waqf Board, which was a party in the dispute, was unnecessarily trying to create obstacles in the way of resolving the dispute through negotiations.

Rizvi had earlier met Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravishankar and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and discussed the proposal.