Court order allowing prayers in mosque given in haste, says AIMPLB

Muslim organisations under the umbrella of AIMPLB also said the Places of Worship Act, 1991 should be implemented in letter and spirit to prevent religious disputes arising in the country.

High court

The AIMPLB reaction came after the Allahabad High Court on Friday adjourned till February 6 hearing on an appeal filed by the Anzuman Intezamia Masjid Committee challenging the Varanasi court order.

The committee, which looks after the affairs of the mosque, moved the high court after the Supreme Court refused to hear its plea against the Varanasi district court order and asked it to approach the high court.

Secularism hurt

Board president Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani said the order to offer prayers at the mosque has pained not only Muslims but people of other religions as well who believe in secularism.

"The notion that a mandir (temple) was demolished to build a mosque is wrong. Islam does not allow taking away someone's land to build a mosque," he said.

Hasty ruling

"The court ruled on it in haste and the other (Muslim) side was not even given a chance to put forward its arguments in detail. This has hurt the confidence of minorities in the judiciary," Rahmani told the media.

"In the Babri Masjid decision, it was accepted that the temple was not brought down to build a mosque but the decision was made in the favour of the other side on the basis of 'aastha (faith)'. Courts should rule on the basis of facts and not 'aastha'," he said.

Places of Worship Act

Rahmani said the Places of Worship Act is a very important law as "we can prevent disputes through it".

If this was not implemented in its letter and spirit, it will lead to disputes in the country, he said.

Present at the press conference were Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind president Maulana Arshad Madani, Jamiat chief Maulana Mahmood Madani and AIMPLB spokesperson SQR Ilyas.