Hardliners have hijacked board: Cleric expelled by AIMPLB after saying Babri Masjid site can be shifted

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board’s (AIMPLB) member on Sunday informed that the committee has decided to remove Moulana Salman Husaini Nadvi’s from the boardafter he suggested shifting the site of Babri mosque from Ayodhya.

However, Nadvi has said that"hardliners" had hijacked the board, which forced him to distance himself from their "official" stance on the Ayodhya dispute, reports said.

He had suggested that the board should make the final decision and not leave it to the court as they could not come up with a verdict in 25 years.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Nadvi was expelled for going against the decision of the organisation, which today stated that its position on the issue of building a mosque in Ayodhya remains unchanged.

A committee was formed by the board to look into the matter. With the rift out in the open, the board had earlier hinted that Nadvi would be removed from the board.

"Committee announced AIMPLB Board will continue with its old stand that Mosque cannot be gifted, sold or shifted. Because Salman Nadvi has gone against this unanimous stand, he has been expelled," AIMPLB member Qasim Ilyas said.

Earlier, talking to the media, Nadvi had threatened to remove AIMPLB chairman Zafayb Jilani from Sunni Waqf Board’s lawyer.

Jilani, to this, said, “He can do whatever he wants. We have been fighting since 1986, the time when he (Nadvi) was not included in the fight (Babri Masjid).”

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar expressed surprise at the move on Twitter.

On February 9, Maulana Salman Husaini Nadvi spoke to ANI about his meeting with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar where he extended support to the construction of Ram temple and said that their priority is to join hearts of people.

He also hinted at an out of court settlement by saying, “The courts do not join people’s heart as the verdict is always in favour of one and against the other.”

Referring to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s issue, Jilani said that they cannot give the mosque to anyone.

Nadvi, who teaches at the Islamic seminary Nadwatul Ulema or Nadwa Madrassa in Lucknow, has drawn flak from other senior members of the board who met at Hyderabad.

The Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute is a century-old issue between Hindus and Muslims over a piece of land, which is claimed by the former to be the birthplace of Hindu Lord Ram and thus entitled for construction of a Ram Temple.

The Babri Masjid, built in 1528-29 CE, was demolished by Hindu Karsevaks on December 6, 1992 in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, which caused massive riots across the country.

The case is now pending in the Supreme Court.

On Thursday, the three-judge Supreme Court bench fixed March 14 as the next date of hearing in Ayodhya case as some of the documents and translations were yet to be filed before the apex court.