Forced to resign, says MPLB member
HYDERABAD/LUCKNOW: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board’s (AIMPLB) member Maulana Salman Nadvi resigned from the board in Hyderabad on Sunday. Nadvi said he was forced to resign.
The AIMPLB took disciplinary action against Nadvi taking strong exception to the latter’s initiative to broker an out-ofcourt settlement of the BabriMasjid-Ram-Janambhumi dispute in Ayodhya. The board had constituted a four-member committee headed by AIMPLB president Maulana Rabey Hasani Nadvi to recommend action.
The disciplinary proceedings against Maulana Salman were initiated because he had mooted his own proposal to give up the disputed land in Ayodhya without discussing the matter with the board. Board member SQR Ilyas told media in Hyderabad that the board was left with no option but to remove Nadvi as he was still speaking against the stand taken by the board.
“The board has already reiterated its uncompromising stand on Babri Masjid issue. But Nadvi is still speaking against it. So, a four-member committee constituted by the Board to look into the disciplinary action against Nadvi has unanimously decided to remove him,” Ilyas said.
Earlier, AIMPLB general secretary Zafayb Jilani had said they have handed over the Nadvi case to the committee.
A few days ago, Maulana Nadvi met Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and extended support to the construction of Ram temple. He said their priority was to join hearts. 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.”
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. Besides Maulana Rabey Hasani Nadvi, the three other members on the committee were Maulana Arshad Madani, president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, Maulana Wali Rahmani, AIMPLB general secretary, and Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani. Apart from being a Dean in renonwed Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulema in Lucknow, Maulana Salman Nadvi is nephew of AIMPLB chief Maulana Rabey Hasani Nadvi. Salman Nadvi said: “I will not change my position or the approach to seek a peaceful and negotiated settlement to the Ayodhya dispute.” Before this, on Saturday, Maulana Salman had said: “What is the brouhaha all about. I had simply met Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to explore the possibility of an out-of-court solution. But these people (AIMPLB members) would not even let me speak at the sesison so i decided to stay away (from Saturday’s session).” He also said that SQR Ilyas and another member Kamal Farooqui repeatedly tried to shout him down when he was addressing the AIMPLB working committee meeting on Friday. Ilyas, however, denied the charge. Nadvi said he would go ahead with the proposed talks to be held with the seers in Ayodhya after Holi.
“I have sought three things under the proposal for shifting the mosque: double the land (around 140 bigha), building of a new mosque and establishing a universirty and lastly a registered agreement and undertaking before the Supreme Court that status of all other religious places of worship would remain the same as it was after 1947,” said Maulana Salman.
› I will not change my position or the approach to seek a peaceful and negotiated settlement to the Ayodhya dispute.” Before this, on Saturday, Maulana Salman had said: “What is the brouhaha all about. I had simply met Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to explore the possibility of an out ofcourt solution
SALMAN NADVI, AMIPLB member