Shia Muslim scholar who advocated Ram Mandir in Ayodhya dies at 83

Revered Shia cleric and vice president of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Maulana Kalbe Sadiq said Muslims should give Ram Temple land to Hindus. He has died of prolonged illness. “Maulana Kalbe Sadiq, the vice-chairman of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, passed away at a hospital in Lucknow,” news agency ANI reported.

In 2017, while commenting on the Babri Masjid verdict, Sadiq had said that Muslims should hand over the land to Hindus. “If Babri Masjid verdict is not in favour of Muslims, then they should peacefully accept it. And if the Babri Masjid verdict is in favour of Muslims they should happily give the land to Hindus,” he had said.

Sadiq drew his last breath in a private hospital in Lucknow. With his demise, the country has lost a great personality, and the board has lost one of it’s main and true servants.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the death of the cleric. In a statement, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said that Adityanath has expressed solidarity with the followers of the late cleric.

The 83-year-old Sadiq was suffering from pneumonia and was admitted to the ICU of the hospital where he had been undergoing treatment at the Era Medical College. The news of his demise was confirmed by his son Kalbe Sibtain. “Maulana Sadiq breathed his last at around 10.00 pm at a private hospital,” he said.

A health bulletin by the hospital had said that Sadiq was suffering from colorectal cancer with metastasis with severe pneumonia, UTI and septic shock with acute kidney shutdown with paralytic ileus.

“His condition is very critical. Presently he is on assisted ventilation, vasopressor support and optimal antibiotic coverage. Today, there is further deterioration in his haemodynamics and he is continuing on high dose vasopressor support,” the hospital had said earlier during the day.

Writer, historian, and activist Dharam Sikarwar is a very active author The Youth. He writes on national and international issues, environment, politics. He is an avid book reader as well.