Ayodhya dig futile, says Muslim Board

Terming the ongoing excavation at Ayodhya as ‘‘unnecessary’’ and ‘‘unwarranted’’, the All India Musl...

Terming the ongoing excavation at Ayodhya as ‘‘unnecessary’’ and ‘‘unwarranted’’, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Monday said the exercise was futile.

Speaking to mediapersons here, AIMPLB secretary Abdur Raheem Quraishi said, ‘‘If at all pillars or any structure is found, it will not be possible to prove that they belonged to the Ramayana age. Such structures thus found could be of a palace or anything else and may be considered as having belonged to Lord Rama.’’

Quraishi told reporters that archaeologists had already carried out similar excavations twice, in 1960s and 1970s and had not found any ancient monument or building that could be linked to the Ramayana age. ‘‘Since the Archaeological Survey of India, under a project on Ramayana sites, had not found any ancient monument or even a blackstone pillar, it had recommended shelving of the project,’’ he added.

Quraishi, however, said they would abide by the court verdict even if it went against the Muslims and added that the other party should also accept the judicial verdict. He also rejected the suggestion that Muslims should give up their claims over the Ayodhya site in order to end the standoff.