A Waqf is a body recognized by Muslim Law, the Sharia, which owns and manages properties donated for a religious purpose. They are regulated earlier under the Waqf Act of 1954, and now under the Waqf Act of 1995, approved by the Indian Parliament.
The Sunni Waqf Board has spearheaded the claims of the Muslim community’s appeal from 1960s.
In 1961, the state government had seized control of the disputed site through the Faizabad court verdict. The Sunni Waqf Board wanted control over the mosque and the removal of the idols inside, which were reportedly placed under the mosque’s dome in on December 22, 1949.
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But the Waqf Board wants the entire land and the mosque to be restored as it was before its demolition in 1992.
Shia vs Sunni
The Shia Waqf Board has claimed ownership of the disputed land, not the Sunni Waqf Board. Babur, who is said to have built a mosque in the disputed site, was from the Shia sect among Muslims.
However, the Shia WAQF Board has supported the construction of Ram temple at the site where the mosque (
In return, the Shia Waqf Board has demanded that the government must give an alternative site for the mosque construction.