All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday expressed dissatisfaction with the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Ayodhya case, ANI reported. “Supreme Court is indeed supreme but not infallible,” Owaisi told the media, quoting former Chief Justice of India JS Verma.

“We have full faith in the Constitution, we were fighting for our right, we don’t need five acres of land as donation,” Owaisi said. “We should reject this five acres land offer, don’t patronise us.”

Owaisi also said that “those who demolished the Babri Masjid” have been asked to form a trust and start the construction of the Ram temple, PTI reported. He said the Supreme Court judgement was a “victory of faith over facts”.

The AIMIM chief also lambasted the Congress for welcoming the verdict and backing the construction of the Ram temple. “Congress has shown their true colours,” he said. “But for Congress party’s deceitfulness and hypocrisy, idols would not have been placed in 1949. Had the locks not been opened by [former Prime Minister] Rajiv Gandhi the Masjid would still be there, had [former Prime Minister] Narasimha Rao discharged his duties the Masjid would still be there.”

The Supreme Court on Saturday said that the disputed land in Ayodhya, where the Hindu parties had claimed a Ram temple once existed, will be handed over to a trust, which can then proceed towards building a temple. The court also said that five acres of land be allotted to Muslims in a separate place in Ayodhya for the construction of a mosque.

All India Muslim Personal Law Board member Maulana Sayyed Atharali said the organisation will think over the option of filing a review petition in the top court, PTI reported. “We all should maintain law and order in the country and ensure that peace prevails. We all should accept the Supreme Court order,” he added.

‘We have right to seek review’

The Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board, which was a litigant in the case, expressed disappointment, NDTV reported. The board said it will hold a meeting and decide whether a review petition should be filed. We think it is unjust... We can’t consider this justice,” Zafaryab Jilani, the lawyer for the Muslim group, said. “We are not criticising all parts of the judgement.”

Jilani regretted that the disputed land in the inner courtyard of the area was given to the Hindu side. “Giving all land to the other side is unjustified,” he said. “We respect the top court, we have a right to disagree with the verdict. The top court has changed judgement in many cases. We have the right to seek review.”

“It is nobody’s victory or loss,” Jilani said. “There shall be no protests from any side...I can only say that the judgment is not satisfactory and not as per our expectations.”

All India Ulema Council General Secretary Maulana Mehboob Daryadi said the organisation accepts the Supreme Court’s final verdict. “We are also happy that the SC rejected the appeal of the Shia Wakf Board and Nirmohi Akhada,” he added. “We accept that a five-acre land is given to the Sunni Central Waqf board to build the Masjid.”

Haji Ali Dargah trustee Suhail Khandwani said that the Supreme Court has delivered a balanced verdict. “It is a matter of pride that Indians have accepted the final order of the apex court,” he said. “The SC has delivered a balanced verdict. This ruling is not in favour of any particular religion. The verdict has sent a message that India is above caste and creed.”

Khoja-Shia Jamat senior member Shabbir Somji said the group accepts the judgement “in the interest of the nation”. “The judgement should be acceptable to all communities,” he added.

In its verdict, the court said that the Archaeological Survey of India had found that the mosque had not been built on vacant land. However, to provide remedy to the Muslim side, as the Babri mosque had been demolished by Hindutva activists in December 1992, the court said a separate space would have to be allocated to build a mosque.

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