LUCKNOW, 14 February — A prominent Muslim leader, Zafaryab Jilani, is the convenor of the All India Babri Masjid Action Committee (AIBMAC). He is also the legal adviser to All India Muslim Personal Law Board. Speaking to Arab News Jilani warned that the country would be thrown into a constitutional crisis if the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) goes ahead with the plan to construct a temple at the site of the demolished Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.
Excerpts of the interview:
Q: What is your reaction to the VHP demand for the ‘undisputed’ land?
A: Actually the Election Commission has upset the BJP applecart, when elections in UP were announced for February. All the nefarious plans of VHP and (Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to a naught, as the term of BJP expires on March 26 and keeping this in mind VHP had announced March 12 to be the deadline for temple construction, in Mahakumbh. They have failed the people’s confidence on all fronts and therefore are resorting to communal politics in order to regain power.
Q: What if VHP goes ahead with the temple construction plan?
A: It could trigger a great law and order problem in the country because the most respectable pillar of our democracy — judiciary — will be torn to pieces. There may be even widespread riots and the present BJP government at the center will be solely held accountable for the anarchy that could result from this action and rip apart the nation.
Q: What is the Supreme Court’s ruling?
A: The Supreme Court, in a judgment passed on Oct. 24, 1994 in the case of Dr. Ismail Farooqui vs. the Union of India, observed that the adjacent area has also been acquired to make available to the successful party, that part of it which is considered necessary for proper enjoyment of the fruits of success on the final outcome of the adjudication. Supreme Court has further said that one of the purposes of the acquisition of the adjacent properties is the ensurement of the effective enjoyment of the disputed site by the Muslim community in the event of it’s success in the litigation. It is therefore obvious that no part of the adjacent land can be transferred to VHP till final adjudication and determination of exact area of the adjacent land required by the successful party is done.
Q: How will you summarize the prime minister’s role?
A: The prime minister is hand-in-glove with VHP, he seems to be suffering from some very acute myopic diseases, he has become the first PM in the history of India to have ranged himself on the side of one particular community. His move to refer the demand of VHP to the Law Ministry is fraught with conspiracies.
It is not innocent of Mr. Vajpayee because I apprehend that a favorable report in support of the said demand may arrive prior to the polls, the report may be leaked to the press, and media will definitely blow it up. This will in turn benefit BJP, and BJP will give the impression that it is keen in getting the construction work to start from March 12.
Q: Was the prime minister privy to the demolition of Babri Mosque?
A: Of course, yes their twice elected BJP MP and ex- SSP of Faizabad D.B. Rai has himself spoken about the same (Times of India, Aug. 31, 2001), and he has shown me the newspaper clipping.
