The formal commencement of the construction of the Ayodhya mosque in Uttar Pradesh has begun with the raising of the national flag on the occasion of the 72nd Republic Day.

A tree plantation drive was also carried out.

The Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF) trust overseeing the construction of the mosque complex in Ayodhya’s Dhannipur village on a five-acre plot, its members assembled at the site at 8.15 am on today.

IICF chief Zafar Ahmad Farooqui hoisted the national flag at 8.45 am and all its members planted tree saplings.

The site of the mosque is 25 km away from the Ram Janmabhoomi site.

The apex court on November 9, 2019, had ruled in favour of the construction of a Ram temple at a disputed site in Ayodhya and directed the Centre to allot an alternative five-acre plot to Sunni Waqf Board for building a new mosque at a “prominent” place in the holy land in Uttar Pradesh.