AIMPLB seeks funds to fight Babri case

It intends to raise as much as Rs 12 crore

Facing a financial crunch,the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has called upon the community to make donations to help fight the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi case in the Supreme Court. It intends to raise as much as Rs 12 crore.

The board,which had taken over the legal affairs of the dispute from the Babri Masjid Action Committee in 1992 soon after the demolition of the structure on December 6 that year,has challenged the Allahabad High Court judgment on the Ayodhya title suits,delivered on September 30 last year.

The court had ordered division of the disputed sites in three equal parts,with one going to Muslims.

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The board has filed four appeals before the Supreme Court and plans to file five more. It has engaged six senior advocates and several junior ones for the case,which is listed for hearing in the Supreme Court on May 9.

The decision to raise funds for the legal battle was taken during the two-day meeting of the executive committee of the board in Hyderabad on April 23, said Qasim Rasool Ilyas,member of the executive. He said the board had entrusted the task of collecting funds to its committee on Babri Masjid,which is headed by assistant general secretary Abdul Rahim Qureshi.

The committee will tour big cities,meet prominent members of the community and its well-wishers for raising funds to support the litigation,said Ilyas,who is also co-convenor of the committee on Babri Masjid.

The board plans to raise about Rs 12 crore,he said.

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Yusuf Hatim Muchala,convenor of AIMPLBs legal cell,which is pursuing the case in the Supreme Court,refused to comment. How does it concern you? I am the convenor of the legal cell; I am concerned only about the legal issues, Muchala told The Indian Express over the phone from Mumbai.

Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) chief and MP Asaduddin Owaisi had announced a donation of Rs 50 lakh. MIM legislators of Andhra Pradesh donated Rs 5.50 lakh.

Executive member Zafaryab Jilani said,The board does not have any source of income other than donations. We will accept even small amounts from Muslims as the community is not so affluent to get too many big donations.