Monday, August 1 2005 15:37 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Terming Sunni Waqf Board's certification of Taj Mahal as its property as 'untenable, ridiculous and baseless', Government today (August 1, 2005) said it would challenge the Board's claim in the Supreme Court.

Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha, Culture Minister Jaipal Reddy said the claim of Sunni Waqf Board would be challenged in the Supreme Court through a special leave petition.

"We are going to file the necessary petition in the Supreme Court in good time," Reddy said, adding, the Solicitor General would also be consulted.

Reddy, however, said, "The Board is a legal institution and it must be allowed to function on its own."

"The claim of the Board is very poor, untenable, ridiculous and baseless both from historical and legal angles", he told the House.

The Minister said though the Sunni Waqf Board had made a claim to this effect in the High Court, the Board delivered this judgement (of claim on Taj Mahal property) on its own. It strangely behaved like a judge."

Reddy said, "The Government will challenge this in the Supreme Court to tide over the problem very quickly."