No graveyard in Ram Janmabhoomi, clarifies Ayodhya DM

Ayodhya, Feb 18: The Uttar Pradesh district administration on Tuesday said that there is no graveyard within the 67 acre land of Ram Janmabhoomi where a Ram temple is to be constructed.

The statement comes a day after senior Supreme Court lawyer has written to the Ram temple trust on behalf of a group of Muslims in Ayodhya, asking that five acres of land around the demolished Babri Masjid where a graveyard is situated be spared for the sake of 'sanatan dharma'.

"At present there is no graveyard within the 67 acre campus of the Ram Janmabhoomi," District Magistrate, Ayodhya, Anuj Jha said,reports Hindustan Times.

"It was after the Supreme Court's order that the 67 acre land was transferred to the Centre. No graveyard exists at the Ram Janmabhoomi," the DM said. "We are following Supreme Court's order."

The letter, written by advocate M R Shamshad, is addressed to all 10 trustees of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra. Shamshad said according to Muslims, there is a graveyard known as 'Ganj Shahidan' around the demolished Babri Masjid where 75 Muslims who lost their lives in the 1885 riots in Ayodhya were buried.

"There is a mention of this in Faizabad Gazetteer also," he said.

"The central government has not considered the issue not using the grave-yard of Muslims for constructing the grand temple of Lord Ram. It has violated 'dharma'," the letter stated.

"In view of religious scriptures of 'sanatan dharma', you need to consider whether the temple of Lord Ram can have foundation on the graves of Muslims? This is a decision that the management of the trust has to take," it said.

"With all humility and respect to Lord Ram, I request you, not to use the land of about four to five acres in which the graves of Muslims are there around the demolished mosque," the letter added.