Dissatisfied with verdict; maintain peace: Jama Masjid Imam

Shahi Imam of Delhi Jama Masjid Syed Ahmed Bukhari on Friday expressed dissatisfaction over the Allahabad High Court verdict on the Ayodhya title dispute but appealed to Muslims to maintain peace.

Shahi Imam of Delhi Jama Masjid Syed Ahmed Bukhari on Friday expressed dissatisfaction over the Allahabad High Court verdict on the Ayodhya title dispute but appealed to Muslims to maintain peace.

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Bukhari, addressing a gathering during Friday prayers at the Jama Masjid, said a decision on such a crucial issue cannot be taken in a "closed room".

"We are unhappy with the court verdict. The decision should be made by the Muslim public in the open. We do not accept the decision made in a closed room", Bukhari said.

He said the verdict turned out to be a "settlement" and "partition" suit rather than a title suit.

Bukhari urged the community members to maintain peace and not take any step to spoil the peaceful atmosphere.

Without naming any particular political party he said, people of the community should be wary of those who attempted to politicise the issue.

Announcing the highly-anticipated verdict, the High Court ruled that the 2.77 acre disputed land be divided into three parts among Hindus and Muslims and held that the place where the makeshift temple of Lord Rama currently exists belongs to Hindus.