Muslim Personal Law Board to Challenge Babri Masjid Verdict in HC

AIMPLB Secretary Zafaryab Jilani said that the judgment pronounced on Wednesday by the special CBI court was wrong.

File image of Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board’s lawyer Zafaryab Jilani.

(Photo: The Quint)

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) said that it will appeal against the special CBI court’s verdict in the Babri Masjid demolition case by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court.

AIMPLB Secretary Zafaryab Jilani said that the judgment pronounced on Wednesday, 30 September, by the special CBI court in the case was wrong and confirmed that the board will be filing an appeal to The Quint.

“We will appeal against the judgment in the High Court,” said the lawyer, who was also part of the Babri Masjid Action Committee.

Jilani insists that the judge has ignored directly the evidence of eyewitnesses. Speaking to The Quint, he said, “The statements of so many eyewitnesses has been rejected on wrong grounds. In no case has their testimony been damaged in cross examination. These included testimonies of various Journalist, who saw the destruction of the Babri Masjid as well as the provocative speeches being delivered by BJP leaders. Does this not amount to provocation of the karsevaks who were demolishing the structure? It is also on record that LK Advani was smiling when one domb was demolished, that fruits were distributed, that Uma Bharti and LK Advani were hugging each other while the structure was being demolished.”

Prominent Sunni cleric and All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) member Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali said that everyone knows how the "Babri masjid was demolished in full public view" and the "law of the land was shredded to pieces".

"The Muslims, in this country, have always respected court decisions. In the final judgment of the Babri masjid case, the court had clearly said that the Muslims had been wrongly deprived of a mosque that had been constructed well over 450 years ago. Then the Supreme Court also said that it was an unlawful destruction. However, if there was a criminal conspiracy, it had to be decided by the court. Now, Muslim organisations will sit together and decide whether today's judgment has to be appealed against or not," he said.

(With inputs from IANS)