No Ayodhya issue record gutted in Waqf Board office fire: Azam

Days after fire broke out at the Sunni Waqf Board office here, Uttar Pradesh Minority Welfare and Waqf Minister today said no document related to the Ayodhya dispute was destroyed in the blaze and that an inquiry had been ordered into the incident.

“Accidental fire is a different thing, but causing fire deliberately is really bad… Whether it’s (the riots) in Muzaffarnagar or the Waqf Board office here,” Khan told reporters while replying to a question.

An inquiry has been ordered into the incident besides an FIR being lodged, he said, adding that police has summoned some persons for questioning.

Last week, a major fire had broken out in the record room of Sunni Central Waqf Board’s office here. It has been alleged that some major records got gutted in the incident.

When asked about documents related to the Ayodhya dispute, he said, “No such record was destroyed.”

Khan said after High Court’s verdict on the issue, all original documents had been transferred to the Supreme Court.

“All the original records are in the custody of the court. There are only photocopies kept in the Waqf office,” he said, claiming that such rumours were only to create panic.

When asked about Samajwadi Party pulling out of JDU-RJD-Congress grand alliance in poll-bound Bihar, Khan evaded the question. “The right solely rests with Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav)… How and where to enter into an alliance,” he said.