Sunni Waqf board’s 5 acre to have library, hospital also

Sunni Waqf board's 5 acre to have library, hospital also

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board has said that on the five acre land allotted to it following the final verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi title suit, there will not only be a mosque but also an Indo-Islamic Cultural centre, a charitable hospital, and a public library among other facilities.

The land was given to the board by the state government, as per the Supreme Court order.

Board chairperson Zufar Ahmad Faruqi said: “Board will constitute a Trust which will raise funds to build a mosque at the allotted site. The size of the mosque will be decided as per local requirement of the area which has a considerable Muslim population. The trust will be constituted very soon and names of office bearers will be shared then.”

Though he did not say if the new mosque would be named as Babri Masjid, he said: “We are satisfied with where the land has been given because the Muslim population around it will ensure safety and no further disputes on the matter.”

He said that an elaborate plan for the mosque, charitable hospital, library and Indo-Islamic centre would be drawn up soon.

Replying to a question, Zufar Ahmad Faruqi said: “The question of accepting or rejecting the land was never raised by us.

“The November 9, 2019 apex court order was very clear that the state government will allot us a plot and we had liberty to build a mosque and associated amenities on it. We did not have the liberty of not accepting the land as that would have been contempt of court.”

Two members of the Board, Abdul Razzak Khan and Imran Mabood boycotted the meeting in protest of the decision to accept land for mosque.