Babri plaintiff gets invite for event

Ayodhya (UP), August 3

Iqbal Ansari, who was a litigant in the Ayodhya land dispute case, has decided to gift a “Ram nami” stole and a copy of the Ramcharitmanas to Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he attends the bhoomi pujan ceremony for the Ram temple here on Wednesday.

Faith leaders of Sikh community on list

New Delhi: As many as nine saints and other faith leaders of the Sikh community are in the list of invitess for the “bhoomi pujan” ceremony in Ayodhya. The names which were drawn up by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerath Kshetra Trust has been cleared by Prime Minister Office (PMO). Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay a silver brick at the Ram Janmabhoomi site, marking commencement of the construction work. TNS

“Yes, I have received the invitation from Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for the bhoomi pujan ceremony. I will certainly attend it. The dispute is over now after the court’s verdict,” Ansari said.

“Our Prime Minister is coming. I will meet him and give him a ‘Ramnami’ stole (with Ram’s name written on it) and Ramcharitmanas as a present,” Ansari said.

His father Hashim Ansari, the oldest litigant in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi land dispute case, died at the age of 95 in 2016 after which the son started pursuing the case in the court.

Ansari said, “I belong to Ayodhya. All this (temple’s construction) will change the fate of Ayodhya. We all want our child to get better opportunities.”

He further said, “I respect sadhus and saints. I am happy to have received the invitation for the ceremony. I think it is Lord Ram’s will that I attend it.”

When asked what he would have done had the court decided the case in his favour, Ansari said he had wanted the construction of a school and a hospital on the disputed land.

“I feel the city needs development. The future of our children should be safe and secure and they should get employment. Dispute in the name of religion should end now,” he said. — PTI