Ayodhya, Faizabad protest Supreme Court verdict

Ayodhya: Even as a sense of dejection prevailed among the Muslim community in the twin towns of Ayodhya and Faizabad following the Supreme Court verdict on Ayodhya title suit, the Jama Masjid Tatshah mosque in Faizabad — the main mosque in the twin towns —  chose not to take out the Bara Rabiul Awwal procession, traditionally taken out on Milad-un-Nabi celebrations, as a mark of protest.

The district administration, however, claimed that they had assured the mosque committee of providing complete security for the procession.

According to officials, about 200 small and big processions are taken out every year across the district to commemorate the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammed.

Though in the rural areas, small processions were taken out, the Tatshah mosque and a few other mosques chose not to. Among those who confirmed the cancellation of processions in Ayodhya was prominent Muslim cleric Shamsul Qamar Qadri. He said: “The main reason was to maintain peace and secondly it was to express our sorrow at the Supreme Court judgment. We celebrated the occasion inside the mosque.”

Within the city, he said that about 50 processions used to be taken out every year but this time around, celebrations took place inside the mosque.

When contacted, Ayodhya SSP Ashish Tiwari said: “The administration had not banned any celebrations. Across the district, which includes rural areas, close to 200 processions have been taken out today.” He said that though they had assured complete security to the Tatshah mosque for the procession, they said they would not take out a procession and chose to celebrate it within the mosque.