Ayodhya Verdict Review: Jamiat Ulema–e-Hind sacks Rajeev Dhawan; AIMPLB reposes faith

Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, lawyer for the Muslim petitioners in the Ayodhya case on which the Supreme Court gave its verdict on November 9, was sacked by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind as it’s advocate. However, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) clarified on social media that they would continue to retain him as the lead lawyer.

In a post of a Facebook page, Dhavan said he had been sacked unceremoniously by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind over reasons he called “total nonsense”. The Jamait had on Monday filed a review petition asking the Supreme Court to review its verdict last month.

“Just been sacked from the Babri case by Advocate-on-record Ejaz Maqbool who was representing the Jamiat. Have sent formal letter accepting the ‘sacking’ without demur. No longer involved in the review or the case. I have been informed that Mr Madani (Jamiat chief Maulana Arshad Madani) has indicated that I was removed from the case because I was unwell. This is total nonsense. He has a right to instruct his lawyer Ejaz Maqbool to sack me which he did on instructions. But the reason being floated is malicious and untrue,”  he wrote.

This is his Facebook posts:

The news agency, ANI reported that Dhavan said:”I don’t know what their compulsions were but they confirmed to me it was a sacking. Now they are saying that I was sick and unavailable, it is a lie.”

The Jamiat filed its review petition on Monday, the first, though other Muslim parties involved are also said to be contemplating filing review petitions.

— India Legal Bureau