Ram temple a political issue raised before polls: Muslim law board member

Hyderabad, Feb 23 A day after BJP leader Subramanian Swamy moved the Supreme Court seeking construction of Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, an All India Muslim Personal Law Board member on Tuesday described it as a political issue raked up before every election.

"The issue is raked up before every election. It's a political issue," Maulana Sajjad Nomani told reporters here.

"When the matter is before the court, all should wait for the final judgment. Before that we would not like to be provoked on non-issues," he said when his reaction was sought on Swamy's petition.

The member of the apex body of Indian Muslims said there was need to focus on real issues like price rise, economic slowdown, and lack of jobs for youth.

Swamy on Monday filed a petition, seeking construction of Ram temple. The court said that the matter would be listed before the bench already hearing other matters relating to Ram temple-Babri Masjid dispute.

Swamy also sought direction for the expeditious hearing of the appeals pending before the apex court challenging the Allahabad High Court order.

Describing as "strange and surprising" the judgment by the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court directing that the Babri Masjid-Ramjanmbhoomi disputed site be divided in three parts between the three contending parties, the apex court had on May 9, 2011, stayed the verdict.

Asked about the row at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, Maulana Nomani said such issues were diverting attention from real problems faced by the country.

"We need to find out why our youth are not happy. They are our children. We should have a dialogue with them," he said.

The religious scholar feels beating up youth in courts is not in tune with the democratic principle of India. He said this would further distance the youth.

Referring to the resignation of a producer of Zee News channel, he said this proved that no anti-national slogans were raised at JNU campus. When a reporter insisted that anti-national slogans were raised, he remarked: "When it is proved that such slogans were raised we will say the slogans were wrong."

On the issue of reservation, he said the current policy of reservation is based on religion. 

"The Presidential Order of 1950 says that scheduled castes and scheduled tribes shall get reservation as long as they are Hindus but if they accept other religions, they will not get it. This is a clear case of discrimination on the basis of religion," he said.

Maulana Nomani said all political parties and secular forces in one voice should demand a "correction" in the constitution.

"Unless we correct the constitution, nobody will hear our demand," he said when asked about his stand on the demand for reservation for economically backward among Muslims.