Though Mohammed Hashim Ansari was the oldest litigant in the case and was against the Ram temple coming up at the site, he never spoke ill of his neighbours who were Hindus.
Born in Ayodhya, Ansari was the first to file the suit on the matter in the court of civil judge of Faizabad in 1949.
The oldest litigant in the Ayodhya title suit case, Mohammad Hashim Ansari, has claimed a threat to his life, saying people playing politics over the issue were plotting to kill him. "When I started to talk about peace with Mahant Gyandas Ansari (president of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad), those doing politics on this issue felt their shops will get closed and are issuing threats and plotting to eliminate me," Ansari claimed
He also said that now everyone should listen to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's advice to shun habit of fighting on small disputes.
Unfazed by plans of others to approach the Supreme Court, three main parties in the Ayodhya title suits--Ram Janmbhoomi Trust, Hashim Ansari and the Nirmohi Akhara--came together for the first time on a public platform on Friday to discuss a formula for a negotiated settlement.
Narendra Modi's agenda is to build a Ram mandir, Hashim Ansari, the oldest litigant in the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit, tells Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com
Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, was brought to India on Thursday after being "successfully extradited " from the US, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said. The 64-year-old Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin landed in Delhi in a special plane on Thursday evening, ending days of speculation of when and how he will be extradited, officials said. The NIA said in a statement that it had secured the successful extradition after years of sustained and concerted efforts to bring to justice the key conspirator behind the 2008 mayhem that claimed 166 lives. Rana is accused of conspiring with David Coleman Headley alias Daood Gilani, and operatives of designated terrorist organisations Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HUJI) along with other Pakistan-based co-conspirators, to carry out the the three-day terror siege of India's financial capital.
Hashim Ansari's son says the long-drawn court battle had left his father disillusioned.
Ninety-year-old Ansari, who initiated moves for a final settlement on the vexed issue through negotiations, was compelled to take the decision following much opposition from various interested parties.
Two main litigants of the Ayodhya title suit case, Mahant Gyan Das and Hashim Ansari, on Friday said they would put forth a formula before the Supreme Court to resolve the vexed issue.
In an interview, he recalled how Hashim Ansari, one of the original litigants in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute, took him to the mosque on his bicycle.
Hashim Ansari, who was the first Muslim claimant to the 16th century Babri Masjid 61 years ago, took everybody by surprise on Sunday when he took the first step to draw the final curtain on the Ayodhya issue.
Mahant Narendra Giri, the newly elected president of All India Akhara Parishad, met Hashim Ansari, the oldest surviving litigant in the Babri Masjid case.
Ruling out giving up its claim on the mosque in Ayodhya, the Sunni Central Waqf Board on Thursday said exploring possibilities for an amicable solution to the dispute without a concrete proposal was a 'futile exercise'.
The Sunni Central Waqf Board and Mohammad Hashim Ansari, litigants in the Ayodhya title suits, will request the Supreme Court for verdict by October1, even as other litigant Nirmohi Akhara will pray for a three months' time to resolve the issue through negotiations.
'All this (temple's construction) will change the fate of Ayodhya. We all want our child to get better opportunities'
'Sarkar jo bhi gana gaye, is bar sarkar paltegi'
On the eve of Babri mosque demolition anniversary, Uttar Pradesh government on Friday enhanced the security of Hashim Ansari, the oldest litigant in the case, by providing him a Y category security cover.
The fresh initiative for settlement of the Ayodhya dispute, led by a former High Court judge, has been signed by more than 10,000 Hindu and Muslims.
'Today, the situation in the country is bad.' 'The distance between Hindus and Muslims is increasing.' 'If an out-of-court settlement is reached, then a cordial atmosphere will prevail in the country.'
The Bharatiya Janata Party, for whom the temple town sharpened its Hindutva plank, is facing a challenge particularly from the Samajwadi Party in the ongoing state polls.
Adityanath spent hours reviewing the arrangements for the ceremony at the Ram Janmabhoomi, where the temple will be constructed following the go-ahead last year by the Supreme Court.
Leaders, including the President and Vice President, react to the bhoomi pujan of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
'How can someone who has never been associated with the movement and never had darshan of Ram Lalla mediate on the matter of temple construction? We have gone to jail for it, faced house arrest and have been fighting court cases. Sri Sri does not qualify to mediate on the matter.'
Under attack, Sibal claimed he did not represent the Sunni Waqf Board in the Ayodhya case in the SC.
'We are aggrieved about the ruling and there is no other way of putting it across to the Supreme Court and entire society that wrong has been committed and which requires correction.'
The last session of Parliament started off on a noisy note as pro and anti-Telangana MPs sparred with each other on the floor of the two houses.
'Gods of different religions haven't warred, so we shouldn't either.'
India Test regulars like Cheteswar Pujara and Ishant Sharma have also thrown their hat into the ring with base prices of Rs 50 and Rs 75 lakh respectively.
Rajneesh Gupta presents all the numbers from the first Test in Rajkot.
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