Uttar Pradesh: Delhi woman claims land for Ayodhya mosque is hers; trust rejects allegation

The Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation Trust, tasked with constructing a mosque in Ayodhya following the Supreme Court's landmark judgment in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case, has strongly dismissed allegations regarding land allotment for the mosque's construction.

In a statement given to the media, the trust's head, Zufar Farooqui, refuted claims by a Delhi woman that the land allotted for the mosque belonged to her family, asserting that these claims were rejected by the Allahabad High Court in 2021.

Farooqui, who is also the chairperson of the Sunni Central Waqf Board, stated, "There is no obstacle in the project. The Allahabad High Court has already dismissed the woman's claim on the land in 2021. There are some minor issues being resolved, and we expect work on the project to start by October."

He also explained the delay in construction, noting that the project’s design is being prepared anew. Additionally, the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) certificate for fundraising has not yet been received, he added.

It is pertinent to note that, following the Supreme Court's historic 2019 verdict on the Ram Temple at the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site, the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation Trust was established to build the mosque on land allotted to the Sunni Central Waqf Board in Dhannipur village, Raunahi, Ayodhya district. The trust plans to construct a hospital, community kitchen, library, and research institute along with the mosque. However, amid the development, Rani Punjabi, a Delhi woman, claimed the five acres of land given to the Sunni Central Waqf Board is part of her family’s 28.35 acres.

Rani, who claims that she holds a legal documents of ownership, is said to now approach the Supreme Court to assert her claim. She explained that the land, allotted by the government to her family was in lieu of land left behind them in Pakistan at the time of Partition. We were also using the land for farming until 1983, however the family had to settled in Delhi for my father's treatment. Since then, the land has been encroached upon," she said.

Rani further also clarified that while she has no objection to the mosque's construction, she seeks justice from the administration. Meanwhile, a senior official from the project construction committee, who has met Rani multiple times, stated, "In Islam, it is not permissible to build a mosque on disputed land. If she has solid evidence, she should present it, but she has not done so," he added.

(With inputs from PTI)

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