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“They want the Muslims to surrender their claim”

Published

9 years ago

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Image courtesy: www.amu.ac.in

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Former UP additional advocate general Zafaryab Jilani has been fighting the Babri Masjid case from 1986. He is convener of the Sunni Control Waqf Board and is representing this body and other plaintiffs in this longstanding dispute. In a chat with Rashme Sehgal, he puts forward his views on the case

What do you feel about the latest initiative of the Supreme Court Chief Justice Khehar for an out-of-court settlement to this long pending dispute?

I am not in favour of an out-of-court settlement. From 1986, we have seen several attempts at arriving at negotiated settlements. Many of these initiatives have come from the highest levels but these have failed to resolve the matter.

What is the other side insisting upon? They want the Muslims to surrender their claim. They do not want an out-of-court settlement with us. Rather they want an out-of-court surrender from us. This has been going on for the last 27 years. They want us to give up claim on the title to the Babri Masjid mosque and build the mosque elsewhere across the Saryu river. This is what the BJP spokespersons have been reiterating again and again.

Is relocation such a major problem for the Muslim community?

Our acceptance of this proposal will imply that Muslims have no right to retain their mosques in any part of the country. Today they are demanding this place; tomorrow they will demand another place. Where is the justification for us to agree to move? Are we second class citizens in our own country?

Up to 1941, all court cases accepted the Babri Masjid mosque. In 1941, the Nirmohi Akhara was the only body in existence.

But the BJP claims they are expressing the sentiment, the astha, of crores of Hindus?

The astha is not created in one or two years. This is something which grows over hundreds and thousands of years. Earlier worship started in 1885 in the chabutra located outside the mosque. Then on December 22 1945, the idols were kept under the middle dome of the mosque.

But what led the Babri Masjid Action Committee to reject the verdict of the Allahabad High Court which had asked for a three-way division of the 2.77 acre site? The Allahabad High Court had opined that the land be equally divided between the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and  Ram Lalla represented by the Hindu Mahasabha ?

The judgement was against the law of the land. The verdict accepted two arguments. The verdict proceeded on the premise that Hindus have faith in Rama and that the middle dome is the birthplace of Rama. The other side was not able to muster any other evidence. My question is, is the country ruled by the rule of law or is it ruled by faith?

The Muslim community is not willing to give up their title keeping the sensibilities of the Hindus in mind?

There is no existence of faith in a property dispute. The right to property is equal for all. Faith, on the other hand, is a personal matter. Issues of property are decided by the law of the land. This point of view has been upheld by the Supreme Court also as far back as 1994.

I ask this question only because this case has dragged for years and years?

We are ready to argue our case before the law courts. The lapses have been on the part of the government. By now the government should have moved an application to set up a special court which could hear this basis on a day-to-day basis. The other side has refused to accept a legal notice for the last six years. We finally had to get it published in a newspaper which cost us thousands of rupees. It is for the Supreme Court to act.

But why is it so important for the Muslims to reconstruct the Babri Masjid at the same place where the earlier mosque had been located?

Why don’t you ask the other side the same question?  Why are you repeating the same question to me? Till 1949, there was no issue of a Ram Mandir at the site of the Babri Masjid. There was a chabutra outside the Babri Masjid and the Hindus had worshipped there but this chabutra was built only in 1886.

But with Adityanath Yogi as chief minister of UP and Narendra Modi as prime minister, the BJP can introduce a bill in Parliament and state assembly to construct the Ram temple on the site.

I am reemphasising this—let the law of the land prevail. Even if such a law is passed, it can be nullified by a Supreme Court judgement. If any such law is passed, it is liable to be struck down.

What about the pending cases against BJP leaders including LK Advani and Uma Bharti ?

The cases have been pending for some time now. The judgement should be decisive and given at the earliest.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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PM Modi takes aim at critics with Dimagi Naxal remark at SRCC centenary address

PM Modi revived his dimagi Naxal remark at SRCC’s centenary celebrations and spoke about India’s development journey.

Published

4 hours ago

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September 6, 2026

By

PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi revived his ‘dimagi Naxal’ remark while addressing the centenary celebrations of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) in Delhi on Saturday, using the term to criticise his opponents.

Speaking to students at the Delhi college, PM Modi described the phrase as a “homeopathic pill” and said it had prompted those he described as “dimagi Naxals” to come forward and reveal their views.

The prime minister also used his address to speak to Gen-Z about India’s development journey and asked students to consider the challenges the country had faced in the past.

PM Modi recalls past crises

During his speech, PM Modi referred to the 2013 Kedarnath disaster and the 2008 global financial crisis while criticising the handling of national emergencies by previous governments.

He said the government at the time of the Kedarnath disaster was shaken and questioned its ability to respond to the crisis.

Referring to the 2008 banking crisis, PM Modi alleged that the government of the time failed to effectively deal with the situation and claimed that India’s banking system was pushed close to collapse.

Prime minister lists challenges faced by his government

PM Modi also highlighted several major global crises that occurred during his government’s tenure.

He mentioned the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, disruptions to global trade and supply chains, and the crisis in West Asia.

The prime minister said there had been concerns that India would struggle during these crises but argued that the country had continued to move forward.

PM Modi’s earlier SRCC visit

PM Modi had earlier visited SRCC in 2013, when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. His speech at the college received significant attention, particularly on social media, ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

His latest visit came during the college’s centenary celebrations, where his address focused on young people, India’s development ambitions and the challenges faced by the country.

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India Metro Rail Network May Overtake US in 2 Years

India’s metro rail network has reached 1,170 km across 26 cities. Union minister Manohar Lal said the country could overtake the US in network length within two years.

Published

18 hours ago

on

September 5, 2026

By

Manohar Lal Khattar

India is on track to become the country with the second-largest metro rail network in the world after China, with Union Minister Manohar Lal saying the country could overtake the United States within the next two years.

India’s metro rail network has now expanded to 1,170 km across 26 cities. The network is only 216 km shorter than the US metro rail network, which stands at 1,386 km, according to figures cited by the minister.

India’s metro network expands rapidly

Speaking after the inauguration of an extended metro service in Indore, Manohar Lal highlighted the pace at which metro connectivity has grown in India.

He said metro services were operational across just 245 km in five cities when Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office in 2014. The network has since expanded to 1,170 km across 26 cities.

The minister said India could overtake the US in terms of metro rail network length in the next two years and become the world’s second-largest country in this segment after China.

China currently has around 8,000 km of metro rail lines, according to the figures cited by the minister.

Indore metro extension inaugurated

The minister made the remarks after inaugurating an extended section of the Indore metro. The project was built at a cost of around Rs 2,850 crore.

The Indore metro was earlier operating commercially on a six-km stretch between Gandhi Nagar and Super Corridor-3 stations. Following the extension, the service will operate on a 17-km route between Gandhi Nagar and Malviya Nagar Chauraha.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the metro service would mark a new phase in Indore’s development. He also said the network would eventually be extended to Ujjain and other nearby areas.

India’s metro rail network: Key figures

  • India currently has 1,170 km of operational metro rail network.
  • Metro services are operational across 26 cities.
  • The US has around 1,386 km of metro rail network.
  • India is currently 216 km behind the US.
  • China has around 8,000 km of metro rail lines.
  • India’s operational network stood at 245 km across five cities in 2014.

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PM Modi returns to SRCC after 13 years, revisits 2013 glass full speech

PM Narendra Modi returned to SRCC after 13 years for its centenary celebrations, revisiting themes from his landmark 2013 address.

Published

19 hours ago

on

September 5, 2026

By

PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to Delhi University’s Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) on Saturday, 13 years after his previous visit to the institution as Gujarat chief minister. 

His latest visit came as SRCC marked its centenary celebrations. Modi’s 2013 address at the college had attracted significant attention as he spoke about India’s youth, governance and the country’s demographic potential.

In 2013, Modi was Gujarat chief minister and had not yet been named the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate. He returned to the same campus this year as Prime Minister, having completed 12 years as Prime Minister and serving his third consecutive term. 

What PM Modi said at SRCC in 2013

The 2013 lecture was titled Emerging Business Models in the Global Scenario. The address also covered governance and India’s young population.

He described India’s youth as a source of national strength rather than simply a group of new-age voters. He also highlighted India’s demographic advantage and argued that the country needed to make better use of its young population.

One of the notable moments from the speech involved a glass of water.  Modi contrasted the conventional descriptions of a glass as half full or half empty and said he viewed it as full, with half containing water and the other half air.

The speech also included his remarks on technology and young Indians. Referring to an anecdote from a visit to Taiwan, Modi used the phrase “mouse-charmers” to describe Indians using computers and suggested that young Indians had the ability to influence the world through technology.

‘Minimum government, maximum governance’

Modi’s 2013 address also touched on governance. He spoke about the role of government and the need for better governance.

He also spoke about India’s potential in the 21st century. 

Modi returns as PM for SRCC centenary

The September 5 visit coincided with Teachers’ Day and SRCC’s 100th anniversary. The Prime Minister’s Office had announced that Modi would participate in the college’s centenary celebrations and address the gathering. SRCC was established in 1926 by industrialist and philanthropist Sir Shri Ram.

Earlier this year, Modi also met the SRCC governing body at his residence in April in connection with the college’s centenary celebrations and released a commemorative postage stamp marking the occasion. 

The return to SRCC came 13 years after his 2013 appearance at the college, when he addressed students as Gujarat chief minister.

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