SC rejects demand for govt nominees in trust formed for Ayodhya mosque

The Supreme Court on Friday rejected the demand to form a trust comprising government nominees to oversee construction work at the 5 acre land allotted to the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board following the landmark decision of the top court in the Ramjanmbhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit in November last year.

A bench of justices RF Nariman and KM Joseph refused to entertain a petition filed in this regard by two lawyers Shishir Chaturvedi and Karunesh Kumar Shukla.

Appearing for the petitioners, advocate Hari Shankar Jain submitted that as per the November 9, 2019 decision of the Supreme Court, deciding the suit in favour of the Hindu parties, the Sunni Waqf Board was allotted 5 acres of land in village Dhannipur in Ayodhya district. On July 29, 2020, the Waqf Board created a trust called the Indo Islamic Cultural Foundation which had no nominees from either the Central or state government.

Jain said, “There is no such provision in the trust to include government nominees. On the other hand, the Shri Ramjanmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust created by the Hindu side had government nominees.”

The petitioners urged the court to direct the Centre to include within the Indo Islamic Cultural Foundation, nominees of the Central and State governments belonging to Sunni Muslim community for proper administration of the land and the construction to be raised over it.

The petition filed by advocate Divya Jyoti Singh said, “It is expected that the trust will get contributions from within India and also from foreign countries. It is in public interest that the central government and the state government may have all relevant information about the working of the trust to maintain public order and to ensure that no malpractices take place and the funds are not misappropriated by the trust.”

The UP Sunni Waqf Board proposes to build a mosque, cultural and research centre and public utility facilities including a community kitchen, hospital and library within the 5 acre land.