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Shahi Imam shoots down Kanchi seer's proposal

Shahid K Abbas in New Delhi

The Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, on Saturday ruled out talking to Kanchi Shankaracharya Swami Jayendra Saraswati on the Ayodhya issue.

Speaking to rediff.com, Bukhari said, "The only option is to abide by the verdict of the court."

Bukhari's refusal comes amid speculation that the newly elected president of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Maulana Rabay Hasan Nadvi, may agree to the Shankaracharya's proposal to come to the negotiating table.

Emphasising that any attempt by the AIMPLB to talk to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad or anyone else on the issue would be 'opposed' by him, Bukhari said, "After the demolition of the Babri Masjid, the Muslim community has withdrawn the right from the entire Muslim leadership to further meddle into this dispute."

He added, "The only solution would be the verdict of court which would be binding on all."

Claiming that the hearing on the case at the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court had been expedited and a verdict was likely any moment, Bukhari said, "The VHP is now panic-stricken, as it has already sensed that the court verdict would go against it because their case, from the very beginning, has been on a very weak wicket."

Meanwhile, another Muslim group Kul Hind Qaumi Mushawarat said the offer of talks was a 'trap laid by the Kanchi seer' to rope in a section of the Muslim leadership to demonstrate that 'the community had participated' in any solution that they might be thinking.

Council spokesman, Etesham Sufi, told rediff.com said, "It would also not be within the purview of the AIMPLB to indulge in such activities, as it is a body only authorised to deal with issues pertaining to personal affairs of the community and not political matters."

Bharati Majlis president Javed Habib said, "The Muslim leadership is at the moment scattered. Besides, the Kanchi seer should also put forward a formula on which the talks would be based prior to initiating the process of the dialogue."

Significantly, AIMPLB spokesman Qasim Rasool Ilyas said, "Court is the only way out and if there were any talks then they could only be held on the basis of proof and not merely supported with belief and faith."

Recalling that the VHP had backed out from its undertaking that it would abide by the court verdict, Ilyas said, "They are panicky because they apprehend that the verdict would go against them as the court was now holding at least 20 to 25 hearings in a month and all our witnesses have been examined."

The Ayodhya Issue: Complete Coverage

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