A litigant in the Ayodhya Title Suit, Iqbal Ansari, has raised serious questions on the competence of the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF). The IICF is a Trust responsible for the construction of a mosque and other facilities on a 5-acre plot in Dhannipur, Ayodhya. The 5-acre plot was allotted to the Trust expressly to serve as an alternate mosque site, as per the Supreme Court in the landmark Ayodhya verdict.
After the Supreme Court’s verdict, preparations for the construction of a mosque in the Ayodhya district had commenced, however, Ansari alleges that the IICF Trust has managed to collect only 20 lakhs rupees so far to aid in the construction of the mosque. According to Iqbal Ansari, the IICF Trust is unable to win the trust of the people, because of its private nature.
After the Supreme Court’s landmark Ayodhya verdict in November 2019, the Sunni Waqf Board was allotted five acres in Dhannipur in order to construct a mosque. The Waqf Board set up the IICF Trust in February 2020 and opened a bank account in the name of Trust in order to receive donations for constructing the mosque. More than a year has passed since then and the Trust has reportedly collected only 20 Lakh rupees through donations.
Additionally, the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation not only plans to construct a mosque but also other facilities including Hospital, community kitchen, Indo-Islamic cultural research center which will include an Archive/Museum, etc. In contrast to their ambitious plans, the donations collected so far by the Trust seem paltry and insufficient.
Iqbal Ansari alleges that Zufar Ahmad Farooqui, the Chief Trustee of the IICF Trust and Chairman of UP Sunni Waqf Board, has formed a private Trust directly controlled by Farooqui himself. Ansari accuses Farooqui of being incompetent and the members of the Trust to be anti-social, blaming their lack of social ability for the dismal collection of donations. Ansari demands changes in the membership of the Trust, saying that until the present Trustees are gone, people will not contribute to the fullest extent.
In direct contrast with the IICF Trust’s collection of 20 lakhs in 16 months for a mosque in Ayodhya, the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust received more than Rs 2,100 crore from the public for the construction of a grand temple at Ayodhya in the span of 44 days.