Hashim Ansari, oldest litigant in Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi case, passes away

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In December 2014, Hashim Ansari had announced that he was withdrawing from the case. Later, he claimed that he has given the power of attorney to his son Iqbal to contest the case. Iqbal is a Samajwadi Party worker.

Iqbal also said that Hashim was the oldest litigant in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi title suit case and he had been advocating for a mosque at the disputed site since 1949 when idols of Lord Ram were allegedly planted in the Babri Masjid. Iqbal said that Ansari was also a petitioner in the title suit case pending in the Supreme Court.

Ansari’s residence in Ayodhya is located at Janmabhoomi Sampark Marg and is nearly 400 metres from the disputed site. A tailor by profession, Ansari had faced financial problems in the early years of filing the case in court while claiming that there should be a mosque at disputed site.

The first chairman of Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas Paramhans Ramchandra Das Maharaj had helped Ansari financially at that time. “Ansari had maintain cordial relations with all. His death is unfortunate. I condoles on his demise,” said Sharad Sharma, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) spokesperson in Ayodhya.

For the past few years, Ansari had spoken about an out-of-court settlement of the dispute. In February 2015, Ansari had met Mahant Gyan Das of Hanuman Garhi in Ayodhya and had expressed his desire for an out-of-court settlement.

Nasari a few days back had met Mahant Gyan Das in Ayodhya and both had said that the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi issues should be resolved without any violence.

In December last year, when two trucks laden with 35 tonnes of pink sandstone had arrived at Ayodhya for carving structures for proposed design of Ram temple, Ansari, had called it a “political stunt” of the VHP to help the BJP in 2017 Assembly polls. “The move of the Nyas and VHP to collect stones was a politically motivated stunt ahead of the UP assembly elections (due in 2017). They are doing this drama to misguide people. The matter is sub-judice, the court will take a decision,” Ansari had then said.