Bangalore: All India Muslim Personal Law Board on March 17 said excavation at
Ayodhya to determine whether a temple existed there or not would not solve the vexed
issue but demanded "transparency and fairplay" in excavation work.
Terming the Allahabad High Court order as "unwarranted and unnecessary", the Board
secretary Abdur Raheem Quraishi told reporters that excavations done twice earlier
by archaeologists in 1960s and 1970s did not find any ancient monument or building
that could be linked to the Ramayana age.
He said after taking up excavation work for eight years from 1960s upto 1975, the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) under a project on Ramayana sites had not found
any ancient monument or not even a single blackstone pillar and it later recommended
shelving of the project.
Similarly, in 1979-80 also, nothing that could be linked to Ramayana was found, he
said, adding, "We are confident that there would not be any temple."
Even if a pillar base were to be found, it could be of a palace or choultry, he
said.
"Whether a temple for Ram was consecrated and Babar ordered its demolition, how can
we find?" he asked.
Referring to reports alleging that a contractor involved in the excavation work was
a friend of Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Vinay Katiyar, he
said, "If that is the case, it raises doubts. There should be transparency and
fairplay."
The final verdict in the Ayodhya case was expected by the end of this year and also
excavation could not be completed in one month as ordered by the Allahabad court, he
said.
PTI
