NEW DELHI: Moving to the Allahabad High Court and courting arrest will be part of the course of agitation decided by Muslim leaders here Sunday to oppose the Uttar Pradesh Government’s notification for acquisition of the disputed land at Ayodhya.
According to the conveners of the Babri Masjid Movement Coordination Committee (BMMCC) and the Babri Masjid Action committee (BMAC), Syed Shahabuddin and Zafaryab Jilani, respectively, a writ petition challenging the acquisition of the disputed property by the state government will be filed with the Lucknow Bench of the High Court either on Monday or Tuesday.
The decisions were taken at a joint meeting of the leaders of the two committees held at the house of Salahuddin Owaisi.
The leaders also decided to court arrest and demonstrate outside the house of the UP chief minister, Kalyan Singh, on Oct.19.
JOINT STAND: The leaders will approach all secular parties to take a joint stand to stop the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) from starting construction of the proposed Ram temple on the disputed land in defiance of the court injunction, a statement issued by them said.
The conveners of the BMMCC and the BMAC were authorized by the meeting to announce further.
Course of action on the Ajodhya land acquisition move.
Some leaders of the BMAC Saturday night met the Prime Minister, P.V. Narasimha Rao and apprised him of the sentiments of the Muslim community, According to a BMAC leader, Rao promised to initiate appropriate action after going through a detailed report on the matter being awaited.
Meanwhile, the Kalyan Singh government in Uttar Pradesh will send a report on the land it has acquired in Ayodhya to the Prime Minister by Saturday or Sunday before he leaves for Harare to attend the meeting of Commonwealth heads of govt.
NOT DISPUTED: The BJP president, Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, told newsmen here Sunday that the state govt had not a cairned land which was disputed and for which the court had directed the contending parties to maintain a status quo. The land had been acquired as part of the continuing efforts to remove all hurdles in the way of construction of the Ram temple, he said.
On the plan of the BMAC to launch a movement against the land acquisition, Joshi said he would advise it not to precipitate matters but help build the temple. Any agitation-al plan at this stage would affect amity, he added.
Joshi said talks were continuing with Muslim leaders for a solution to the Ayodha temple, but as usual, refrained from naming them, He urged the BMAC not to politicize the sensitive issue and cooperate with the U.P. govt to remove hurdles in the construction of the temple.
He denied that the acquisition had been timed to help the BJP.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 18, 1991
