We will appeal to the SC, say Muslim leaders

Reacting to verdict of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court, which ruled that the disputed site is indeed Ram Janmabhoomi and dismissed the suit filed by the Sunni Central Waqf Board as it was barred by limitation, Professor Mohammad Sulaiman, senior member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, who has been part of the litigation, told rediff.com, "We are obviously disappointed. The case has only been dismissed on technical grounds on account of the adverse possession. However we are happy that the court has nowhere ruled that Muslims had demolished a temple and built a mosque.

"It is not the final verdict and we can move the Supreme Court. The high court has given three months time to negotiate on the issue of the outer courtyard and also ordered maintaining of status quo for three months until the parties go in for appeal," he said.

"I cannot give you a time frame as to when the appeal will be filed. We need to prepare well and build a good case to put up before the highest court of the land. We hope that the Supreme Court will take into consideration the tradition of this particular case and not decide on the issue of adverse possession. We will be extremely disappointed if that court does the same," he said.

Zafrayab Jilani, the lawyer for the Sunni Waqf board, said that they will approach the Supreme Court over the issue. "This is not the end of the matter. The verdict will be final only when the Supreme Court decides so. If the apex court also rules against us, then we will abide by it," he said.

Maulana Kalbe Jawad, a prominent Shia cleric from Lucknow, said, "We are neither sad nor happy since we all know this is not the final verdict."