New Delhi, January 10 – All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat President Syed Shahabuddin today welcomed the Dalai Lama’s initiative to solve the Ayodhya dispute but urged him to ask the Vishwa Hindu Parishad to respect the rule of law and the Government to evolve a balanced, just and equitable formula to solve the issue.
Mr Shahabuddin said in a statement here; ”The AIMMM appreciates the concern felt by H H the Dalai Lama which led him to appeal to both the sides to reach an out of court settlement on the Ayodhya dispute through negotiations,” However, no compromise would be acceptable if the Government gives everything to the VHP right away and asks the Muslims to wait for the judicial verdict or take something in return. ”Also no compromise could be effected by pressure and threat,” he asserted.
He urged the Tibetan religious leader to appeal to the VHP to respect the rule of law and to propose to the government that it should adopt a middle path and evolve a balanced, just and equitable formula for resolving the dispute.
The AIMMM leader pointed out that the Muslims have never refused to negotiate an out of court settlement based on the revision of the Mandir site plan to exclude the Babri Masjid site and construct the proposed Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir next to the Babri Masjid site utilising part of the disputed land.
”However, the VHP has been adament on taking the Babri Masjid site which is not negotiable. Unfortunately, all interventions in the past have failed because their object and purpose was to help the VHP achieve its unchanging goal of shifting the Babri masjid and including the site in the Mandir site plan.” Mr Shahabuddin recalled the ”devious proposal” the that Muslim side should lift their legal objection to the commencement of the construction of the Mandir according to the VHP plan, in return for a ”suspicious and impracticable” assurance on the Hindu side to respect the judicial verdict if it favours the Muslims.
He accused the Government of not inviting the All India Muslim Personal Law Board for negotiations even though it had offered its services. He said the government has fully aligned itself with the VHP in the Supreme Court and outside and has variously pressurized the Board, the Babri Masjid movement and the Muslim community to give up their claim on the Babri Masjid site.
According to Mr Shahabuddin, it was unfair to compare the VHP with AIMPB as the latter was committed to accept the final judicial verdict even if it goes against the Muslims while the former was committed to reject the judicial verdict if it went against the Hindus.
He said that the rule of law demanded that the judicial verdict be accepted and executed without fear or favour by the executive.
Mr Shahabuddin further said said that it was strange that those who come forward to resolve the dispute never appeal to the VHP and the Hindus to accept the final judicial verdict whatever it be and the government to commit itself to execute the verdict in accordance with the road map given by the Supreme Court.
