Muslim leaders urge PM Modi to lay foundation stone for Ayodhya mosque, others oppose 'politicisation'

livemint.com:

Narendra Modi to lay the foundation stone for an upcoming mosque in Ayodhya. The call to action came soon after the PM revealed that he had been invited for the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in mid-January next year. However with construction yet to begin on the land allocated by the Supreme Court following the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid verdict, many have also spoken out against the possible ‘politicisation’ of the matter.

“Modi is India’s PM. He is for Hindus and Muslims both. If he is coming to inaugurate the 'Ibadatgaah' (place of worship) of Hindu brothers, then he should also lay the foundation of the masjid," reports quoted Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind leader Mufti Hisbullah Badshah Khan as saying.

Leaders from the Indian Union Muslim League and Payam-e-Insaniyat have also backed calls for the PM to lay the foundation stone of the mosque. Others including the the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation – a trust formed to build the mosque and other community facilities on the plot – however decried the invite. The IICF said that it was unfair to give the project a political tint when the map of the mosque has not been approved and fund collection remains an issue.

The Supreme Court's 2019 verdict on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute had also awarded five acres of land to the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board for mosque construction. Officials associated with the project said in early October that construction work has not yet begun due to a paucity of funds. The IICF trust plans to build a hospital, community kitchen and mosque on the allocated premises – a project worth an estimated ₹300 crore.