NEW DELHI: In a significant development, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board on Jan.9 called upon all the Muslims, ministers including, to “oppose and condemn the Center’s Ayodhya package.”
A strongly worded resolution adopted at the emergency meeting of the board said “every person who calls himself a Muslim, whatever social position he holds whether he is a prince or pauper, a commoner ora minister should close ranks and unambiguously Oppose and condemn the government’s action.”
The board also took the Center to task for its failure to check the “aggressive communalism of communal organizations” and condemned the “brutality and partiality of the administration, police and the Provincial Armed Constabulary.”
A delegation of the members of the board called on the Prime Minister, P.V.Narasimha Rao, and demanded immediate dismissal of the Maharashtra chief minister, Sudhakar Rao Naik.
The board, considered to be the apex body of the Muslim theologians and religious scholars, did not spell out the action that it wants the ministers to take for opposing the government’s measures.
The board accused Rao of “paving the way for the BJPVHPRSS combine to take over the reins of the government at the Center.” It described the promulgation of the ordinance acquiring the Ayodhya landasa “blatant tyranny and open interference in religious freedom of Muslims.”
The board announced the settling up of a committee to “take over the Babri Masjid movement” and said that its decisions would be binding upon the Muslims.
Those who took part in the deliberations included Maulana Salim Qazmi of the Darululoom of Deoband and Maulana Mojahidul Islam.
Meanwhile, in a prompt reaction to the board’s stand, the BJP questioned the competence of the Muslim body to decide on such matters.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 15, 1993
