Application opposing Dina Wadia's claim on Jinnah house filed

Mumbai, Aug 31 (UNI) An Advocate, practising in the Bombay High Court, has filed an application opposing Dina Wadia's petition seeking possession of her late father Mohammad Ali Jinnah's palatial bungalow in the city 'The Jinnah House'.

Advocate Firoz Ahamad Ansari has taken strong exception to Dina Wadia's claim, saying that she had renounced her Indian citizenship in 1960s and had shown allegiance to the British by holding a British passport and presently residing in the United States.

Jinnah, the first Governer General of Pakistan, and his sister Fatima, were evacuees within the meaning of provisions of the Administration of Evacuee Property Act, 1950 as they had left India and migrated to Pakistan before partition, Ansari claimed in his application.

He contended that Dina Wadia has not followed certain mandatory provisions of the Evacuee Property Act, saying that she has neither filed appeal nor revision application against the September 1949 order of then provincial Government of Bombay rejecting Fatima Jinnah's claim to the property.

Dina, wife of textile entrepreneur Neville Wadia and only daughter of the late Founder of Pakistan, moved the high court claiming right over the property, which was purchased by her father in 1917, saying that emotional values were attached with the house and she wanted to spend her last days in the House. While opposing her claim, Ansari suggested that the Jinnah House be used for any purpose like Cultural House or a Museum.

In November 1983, then Prime Minister, late Indira Gandhi had responded to one of Dina Wadia's letter regarding Jinnah House, saying that there were many such cases and it was felt that if one exception was made on sentimental grounds, the government shall be flooded by other requests.

UNI