Petition doesn’t stand chance: VHP

NEW DELHI: The review plea doesn’t stand a chance, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has said. Saints in Ayodhya said the move was ‘not in national interest and is aimed at instigating the Muslims’.

VHP working president Alok Kumar said the review petition would not affect the formation of the trust or the construction of the temple, adding the Centre was obliged to offer property to the Muslims. “It is upon them to accept it,” he said.

“The verdict is sound on facts, law and evidence. It has been scripted by a bench of five eminent judges and has their unanimous judgement. We see no chance of a review succeeding. Filing a review in this case is a futile exercise,” Kumar said.


“Generally, the right to review is the right of a party to a dispute. Neither AIMPLB nor the Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind are parties to the dispute,” he added.

Acharya Satyendra Das, chief priest at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, told ET that the move ‘is not in national interest’ and accused AIMPLB ‘of always making efforts to delay the judgement’. “When Muslim side had earlier said that it would accept the judgement, why was it now disrespecting the Supreme Court,” he asked.

Shia Waqf Board chairman Wasim Rizvi accused AIMPLB of trying to ‘instigate the Muslims’ and said AIMPLB had no locus-standi in the case. “They are just trying to disturb the atmosphere of harmony,” he said, adding most of the Muslims would not agree with AIMPLB’s decision.

“Even the main litigants like Iqbal Ansari have said the judgement needs no review,” Rizvi told ET.