FAIZABAD: The demolition of structures recently acquired by the Visnwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)

Situated in front of the disputed shrine in Ayodhya, suits the legal interests of Muslims combining the case, some of their lawyers feel that the VHP was doing their (Muslims) job. Interestingly the structures being demolished since Thursday night are not disputed in the case pending before the special bench of the high court while the land on which they stand is.

 The relief claimed by the Sunni Central Board of Waqf in its plaint is for the decree of the disputed shrine and of the land adjoining it mentioning it to be the Muslim .The structures being demolished had been acquired during the pendency of the suit which were unlawful encroachments on their lands, some Muslims lawyers maintain and say why should we object to it if it is being removed by the VHP or by anyone else” and approach the high court in the event of any construction started.

DEMOLITION CONTINUES: Meanwhile, the demolition continued even Saturday and barring the main room of the Sankatmochan temple most of the portions of the four structures acquired by the VHP through gift deeds have been demolished.

The demolition of the Sankatmochan temple was, however, stopped following a decision taken Friday night at the VHP meeting here. In this meeting Swami Vam Dev and Mahant Avaidya Nath, BJP MP (both members of the Kendriya Margdarshak Mandal) had agreed to defer its demolition monished.

According to local officials the owner of the structures have given them in writing that they have banded and were taking away with them the idols kept there.

When asked about the propriety of the demolition of the small temples existing therein Swami Vam dev and Mahan Avaidya Nath said that the idols installed in these places were shifted from there in accordance with the directions given in the shastra and there was nothing wrong in it

A resident of Delhi Saturday moved the Supreme Court challenging the notification issued by the Uttar Pradesh government to acquire the land near the disputed Ayodhya shrine.

In his writ petition, Mohammad Aslam contended that the UP govt could not acquire the land because it was covered by the status quo order passed by the Allahabad high court in 1989.

Article extracted from this publication >> October 25, 1991