UP Sunni Waqf Board meeting tomorrow, decision on mosque land likely
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board is likely to take a decision in its meeting on Monday regarding the land given by the state government for construction of a mosque.
"We have already said about honouring the Supreme Court verdict on the Ayodhya issue," board chairman Zufar Farooqui told PTI on Sunday.
"The meeting of the board will deliberate upon the documents pertaining to allotment of land by the government. A decision will also be taken as to what should be built on that piece of land," Farooqui said.
Asked about Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma's offer regarding formation of a trust for construction of a mosque, Farooqui said: "The government formed the trust for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya on the directives of the Supreme Court. No such instructions were issued for the mosque. This offer will be discussed in the board's meeting."
On Friday, the board had said that it did not have the option to reject the alternative piece of land given to it under the Supreme Court's Ayodhya verdict, but would decide how to use it when it meets on Monday.
In a historic verdict in November on the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of construction of a temple. It also ruled that an alternative five-acre plot must be found for a mosque within Ayodhya.
Soon after the verdict, there were suggestions that the board should not accept the land.
"Following the Supreme Court verdict, the Sunni Waqf Board does not have the choice of rejecting the five-acre alternative land for the construction of a mosque in Ayodhya as it would amount to contempt of court," Farooqui had said.
"We had been saying since the very beginning that we will abide by the court verdict on the issue, and because of this we did not go in for a review of the verdict. There has been no shift in our stand," he had said.
Besides Farooqui, there are seven other members on the Sunni Waqf Board.
Earlier this month, the Uttar Pradesh government gave the allotment letter to the board for the plot at Dhannipur village in Ayodhya's Sohawal area. It is on the Ayodhya-Lucknow highway, about 20 km from the district headquarters.
Based on the SC verdict, the Centre had asked the Uttar Pradesh government to allot five acres of land to the Sunni Waqf Board. The UP cabinet made the allotment after its meeting of February 5.
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Will vacate one of two assembly seats won in 10 days: BJP''s Suvendu
Kolkata (PTI): BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who defeated West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur and secured Nandigram for three times in a row in the recent assembly polls, said on Wednesday that he would vacate one of the two constituencies within 10 days.
Adhikari also asserted that the party's central leadership would decide which constituency he would retain.
"I will vacate one seat within 10 days. The party will decide which one I retain. I will not forget my responsibility towards the people of Bhabanipur and Nandigram," he said.
Adhikari on Monday defeated Banerjee in Bhabanipur by over 15,000 votes, puncturing what was long seen as her safest political refuge and delivering a decisive psychological blow to the TMC, amid a sweeping BJP surge across West Bengal.
Addressing party workers and supporters in Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district, the BJP leader appealed to them not to take out victory processions immediately and instead maintain peace.
"Do not take out victory rallies now. Maintain peace and discipline. Celebrate after May 9, after taking permission," he told party workers.
State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya on Wednesday announced that the oath-taking ceremony of the new government will be held on May 9 at Brigade Parade Ground.
Referring to alleged attacks on BJP workers during the TMC regime, Adhikari said he would not forget the “atrocities" faced by them and assured them of taking appropriate action against perpetrators through legal processes.
"I was part of the 2011 ‘poribartan’ (change), and now I am part of the real change. I offer my gratitude to the people of Nandigram," Adhikari said.
He was referring to the TMC's victory in 2011 when the Mamata Banerjee party dismantled the 34-year Left Front regime in the state.
Adhikari offered prayers at a Hanuman statue in Nandigram and remembered the BJP workers, who had died in political violence.
"We will work in such a way that the BJP government in Bengal stays for 100 years," he said, expressing hope that the BJP’s vote share in the state would rise from the current 46 per cent to 60 per cent in future elections.
The BJP leader also assured residents of Nandigram of improved drinking water supply and better hospital and education infrastructure.
