Shia Waqf Board 'hopes' date is announced for temple construction post Ayodhya trust meet

Central Shia Waqf Board chief Wasim Rizvi on Wednesday expressed hope that a date for the construction of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya is finalised in the first meeting of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust being held today, February 18.

While talking to a news agency on the matter Rizvi said, "There is a hope that at the end of the first meeting, we will have a date for the construction of the temple. We will be able to see the construction of a grand Ram temple at his birthplace in Ayodhya."

"The structure at the site was made by Mir Baqi who followed Shia faith. In actuality, the land should have been given to the Shia community. But we are happy with the decision that the land was given to the Sunni community as it was an evil act committed by Mir Baqi," he added.

While talking about the 5-acre land being granted to the UP government for the construction of the mosque, Rizvi advised the Sunni Waqf Board to construct an educational institution on the land.  "The Sunni Waqf Board should act wisely and should not go into any other dispute. They should use this land to construct an educational institute where students of any religion can get an education rather than constructing a mosque or a madrasa there. They should forget what happened in the past," he said.

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BJP too awaits date announcement 

Apart from the Shia Waqf Board, BJP MLA from Telangana, Raja Singh also expressed hope that the foundation stone laying date will be announced by the trust in its first meeting. "The construction of Ram Temple at Ayodhya was the dream of every devotee of Lord Ram. I am happy that the judgment of the Supreme Court was in favor of the 'Ram-bhakts'," Singh said. 

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have formed a very capable committee. There will be the first meeting of this committee today. There is a hope that the date of laying the foundation stone of the temple will be decided today. The devotees from Telangana will help in the construction of Ram temple like the 'Vaanar Sena'," he added.

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First meeting of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust

The first meeting of the 15-member Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, mandated by the central government to oversee the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, will be held on Wednesday evening at the National Capital. The trust is set to finalise the "muhurat" (auspicious time and date) for beginning the construction. The trustees will also decide on a transparent mode for the collection of funds, apart from discussing the future course of action.

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(With inputs from ANI)