Shia Waqf Board to stake claim to Babri site, move civil court

LUCKNOW: In a new twist to the Babri Masjid R am Jan a mb ho o mi issue, the UP Shia Central Waqf Board (UPSCWB) has now decided to stake its claim to the disputed site in Ayodhya. The decision to move court laying claim to the disputed property in the temple town was taken at a two-day meeting of the board, which concluded on Thursday.

“The board has authorised me to pursue the case, which we lost in 1945 to Sunni Waqf Board because of the sloppy manner in which it was dealt with by our then council,” Shia Waqf Board chief Waseem Rizvi told HT.

He said both Sunni and Shia Waqf Boards had filed a suit number 29 before the civil judge of Faizabad staking claim to the Masjid Mir Baqi, also known as Babri Masjid, in 1945.

“We lost the case as our coun- sel was not fully conversant with the facts of the case. Before 1945, the mosque was looked after by Shia caretakers. Sunni custodians were appointed only after we lost the court case as proper facts were not forwarded by our cou ns el,” Riz vi said.