Lucknow: Hashim Ansari, the oldest litigant in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case, died in Ayodhya on Wednesday after prolonged illness.
Ansari had been fighting the case in favour of the Babri mosque since 1949.
He opposed bringing down of the disputed structure by 'Hindu Kar Sevaks' on December 6, 1992. His house was also gutted in the riots that followed the demolition.
In 1961, he along with six others became main plaintiff in the 'Ayodhya title suit' filed by the Sunni Central Waqf Board in the court of Faizabad civil judge. Five other plaintiffs were Mohammad Farooq, Shahabuddin, Maulana Nisaar, Mahmood Sahab and Hashim Ansari.
He was first to file the suit in the court of civil judge of Faizabad on the matter.
His friendship with other Hindu litigants in the case, Ram Keval Das and Ram Chandra Paramhans of the Digambar Akhada, was very strong despite sharp difference of opinions.
Allahabad High Court in 2010 in its majority verdict allotted one-third of the disputed site in Ayodhya to Nirmohi Akahara. The other two-thirds portion has been given equally to be shared by the Waqf Board and the side representing Ram Lalla.
Soon after the verdict, Ansari had called for burying the dispute and making "a fresh start".
He had recently slammed Uttar Pradesh Minority Affairs Minister Azam Khan, accusing him of cheating Muslims.
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