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Centre must give undertaking: BMCC

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Dec. 14. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board and the Committee on Babri Masjid have urged the Government to state categorically on the floor of Parliament that it would execute the court verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case regardless of the outcome of the dispute.

The Babri Masjid Coordination Committee (BMCC) president, Syed Shahabuddin, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board Babri Masjid Committee convener, Syed Quasim Rasool Iliyas, and the Muslim Personal Law Board executive committee member, Maulana Abdul Wahab Khilji, told a news conference here today that they would accept the court verdict even if it went against them. He wanted the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) also to do the same.

The Muslim leaders were convinced that the only solution to the Babri Masjid question was reconstruction of the masjid at its original site. He expressed confidence that the final judicial verdict in the title suit, now being heard by a Special Bench of the Allahabad High Court, would go in their favour. ``The Muslims are prepared to abide by the final judicial verdict, even if it goes against them, but they are not prepared to surrender to the forces of fascism,'' Mr. Shahabuddin and other leaders said.

They said they had no objection to a Ram temple being built in Ayodhya adjacent to the masjid, but made it clear that they would not agree to the VHP beginning construction on the basis of its existing mandir plan before the title suit was decided. The agitation of the VHP and the support extended to it by the Centre had given rise to serious apprehensions in the minds of Muslims and there was fear that even if they won the title suit, they would be deprived of the masjid on one pretext or the other, Dr. Illiyas said.

Mr. Shahabuddin said the majority of Hindus in the country were with Muslims and only a miniscule minority was vitiating the atmosphere with their unacceptable demands. The fight for Babri Masjid, he said, was not one being waged by Muslims alone, but by every right-thinking Indian. He also wondered whether there could be any room for negotiations with the VHP when its major demand was that it be allowed to construct the Ram temple precisely at the spot where the masjid stood till its demolition on December 6, 1992. ``How can we negotiate in an atmosphere of terror?'' he asked.

He pointed out that the BMCC and other organisations of Muslims had sought daily hearings in the case long ago. Had that been done, the case would have been settled by now. Now that daily hearings have commenced before the Special Bench, the case should be settled without much delay, he said.

The Muslim leaders were in town to participate in a rally in the city. A massive rally is proposed to be held in Delhi on December 22 as part of the nationwide campaign to create awareness about the urgency for a solution to the Babri Masjid dispute. Prominent political leaders and social and cultural activists were expected to take part in the rally, they said.

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