NEW DELHI: (AMN) Mohammad Aslam Bhure (55), one of the petitioners in Babri Masjid case died after a brief illness on Saturday morning. He is survived by two sons and one daughter.
The poor cycle-rickshaw shop-owner Bhure came to limelight 1991 when his first petition resulted in a status quo order on the 2.77 acres of the Ram Janambhoomi land allocated for tourism. He filed second petition after the demolition of the Babri Masjid. In 2003 SC had taken cognizance of his writ petition, which sought to restrain Vishwa Hindu Parishad karsevaks from performing a Puja on the acquired land adjacent to the disputed site in Ayodhya. The apex court ordered that no religious activity be allowed there.
After the verdict Bhure received several threatening calls. He was a firm believer of Indian secularism and once said that Supreme Court is India’s greatest bulwark of secularism.