‘Build Mandir on disputed site and Masjid a little away’

new delhi — The Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board on Tuesday filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court saying a mosque can be built in a Muslim-dominated area maintaining a reasonable distance from deity Ram’s birth place in Ayodhya.

Filing an affidavit, the Shia Waqf Board said closeness of places of worship “should be avoided in as much as both denominations using loudspeakers tend to disturb religious performance of each other, often leading to conflicts and acrimony in the two factions”.

“To bring a quietus to the issue, Masjid can be located in a Muslimdominated area at a reasonable distance from the most revered place of birth of Maryada Purushottam Sri Ram,” it added. The Shia Waqf Board contended the Sunni Waqf Board has no stake in the case since the mosque was a Shia property.

“Since Babri Masjid was a Shia Waqf, only Shia Central Waqf board, Uttar Pradesh, is entitled to negotiate and arrive at a peaceful settlement with other remaining stakeholders,” the affidavit stated.

The Shia Board also suggested that a panel headed by a retired Supreme Court judge and all stakeholders should find an amicable solution to the Ram MandirBabri Masjid dispute.

The committee should also include nominees from the PM’s Office and the Uttar Pradesh CM’s Office, affidavit said. —