New Delhi:
Hashim Ansari, the oldest litigant in the Ayodhya title suit, has decided to move the Supreme Court against the Allahabad High Court verdict. Ansari, who along with the chief of the Akhada Parishad Mahant Gyaan Das was trying to arrive at a compromise formula between the various stakeholders, has finally given up hope of an out-of-court settlement.
"I never wanted the nation to face any loss because of the Babri Masjid verdict. But the parties in the opposition want to divide the country and that I will not tolerate," says Ansari.
On September 30 last year, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court pronounced its judgment in the Ayodhya title suit, saying Hindus and Muslims are joint title holders. The three-judge bench - comprising Justice S U Khan, Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Justice D V Sharma - ruled in a majority judgment 2:1, that there be a three-way division of the disputed land - one-third for the Sunni Waqf Board, one-third for the Nirmohi Akhara and one-third to the party for 'Ram Lalla'.
Soon after the judgment, Hashim Ansari engaged with several Hindu parties in the case with the hope of arriving at a compromise. But the Sunni Central Waqf Board and the other Muslim litigants distanced themselves from his efforts.
Ansari will formally move the Supreme Court on Monday. All stakeholders except for Ansari have already filed their appeal in court.