In the letter addressed to the trustees of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, the lawyer, M R Shamshad, has ... Read More

AYODHYA: A Supreme Court lawyer has written a letter to the Ram temple trust on behalf of ten local Muslims, appealing to the trust to spare five acres of land around the demolished Babri Masjid where a graveyard is situated - when they construct the temple. The land falls within the 67 acres of land around the temple site which was acquired by the Centre in 1991.

In the letter addressed to the trustees of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra , the lawyer, M R Shamshad , has made an emotional appeal saying that according to Sanatan Dharma, a Ram temple cannot have graves of Muslims in its foundation.

“With all humility and respect to Lord Ram , I request you to not use the land of about five acres on which graves of Muslims lie around the demolished (Babri) mosque. The graves might not be visible today considering that the entire area has been treated differently since 1949,” says the letter, which was sent by post to the 10 trustees. “We hope the letter will be part of the trustees’ agenda in their meeting on February 19,” he told TOI.

Shamshad said that according to a claim by Muslims in their Suit No 12 of 1962 (Suit 4), the mosque was surrounded on all sides by a graveyard known as ‘Ganj Shahidan’. “The Faizabad Gazeteer also mentions the burial of 75 Muslims at the gate of the janmasthan and the place being known as Ganj Shahidan,” he added.

