Sunni Waqf Board may decide on accepting land on Nov 26

Sunni Central Waqf Board would soon convene a meeting of its executive committee to take a decision on the offer of five-acres land for construction of a mosque in Ayodhya.

The supreme court, which announced its verdict in the Ayodhya issue on Saturday, has directed that the Board, which was the main plaintiff in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid Title suits, be given five acres of land in Ayodhya for construction of a mosque.

Board chairman Zafar Farooqui said on Sunday that a meeting would be convened within a fortnight to discuss whether to accept the land or not.

''I am in favour of accepting the land....the matter will be decided by the Board,'' Farooqui said. Sources said that the meeting of the Board could take place on November 26.

According to the sources, there were sharp differences among the Board members on the issue of challenging the SC verdict as well as accepting the land.

Some well known Muslim clerics, associated with the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), and also members of the Board were of the opinion that the Board should not accept the land for the mosque. They also favoured approaching the SC with a review petition after legal consultations.

''A mosque can not be substituted....we should not accept land for the mosque,'' said a senior AIMPLB member here on Sunday.

Other AIMPLB members, including Asauddin Owaisi and Kamal Faruqui, had also asked for rejecting the offer of land for the mosque.

The Sunni Board chairman had, before the SC verdict, offered to withdraw from the case on certain conditions but was opposed vociferously by other members.

He also faced charges of irregularities in the sale and purchase of land by the Waqf Board. The UP government has recommended a CBI probe into the matter.