Owaisi says SC referred issue of whether mosque an integral part to Constitution bench

AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi Thursday said it would have been better had the Supreme Court referred to the issue of whether the mosque was an integral part of Islam to a Constitution bench.

AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi Thursday said it would have been better had the Supreme Court referred to the issue of whether the mosque was an integral part of Islam to a Constitution bench.

Responding to questions from reporters on the apex court's verdict on the Ayodhya land case, he, however, said the judiciary cannot and should not decide what is an essential feature of a religion and it is for the clergy of the religion to decide.

The apex court Thursday declined to refer to a larger bench the "questionable observation" in it's 1994 verdict that "mosque is not an essential part of the practice of Islam". In a majority verdict of 2:1, a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said the civil suit has to be decided on the basis of evidence, adding that the previous verdict has no relevance to this issue.

Owaisi said it was a matter of national importance. "The fact is that Masjid is an essential feature of Islam. As a Muslim I am telling Masjid is an essential feature of Islam. It is mentioned in the Quran... What surprises me is that when it came to 'triple talaq' the Quranic verses were mentioned but now when the matter of Masjid came those Quranic verses are being completely forgotten, he said.

The Hyderabad MP also sought to know if Masjid was not an essential feature of Islam, what about other religious places. "Are they essential feature? Because I am of the opinion that judiciary cannot decide what is an essential feature of a religion. I submit respectfully that it is for religious clergy to decide what is an essential feature of a religion.

Unfortunately, the judiciary has decided this and I respectfully submitted my opinion," he said Reacting to another query, Owaisi said the Supreme Court itself has said that its decision would not have an impact on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute.

The court has rightfully said and reminded that it is a title suit, he said. Owaisi further said the 2019 Parliament elections have a definite connection with high petrol and diesel prices, unemployment of youth and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of failure to provide jobs.

He also alleged "RSS and BJP they don't want people of India especially youth to decide who to vote for but (want to) bring back emotive issues so that polarisation can happen.