Never asked for Red Fort, only his rightful home: Mughal emperor's heir on plea
The 'heir' of Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar expressed disappointment over the Supreme Court rejecting her plea seeking possession of the Red Fort, saying her motive was only to know the emperor's rightful residence.Sultana Begum, who claimed to be the widow of the great-grandson of Bahadur Shah Zafar, lives in a tiny two-room hut in Kolkata's Howrah - a stark contrast to the opulent Mughal palaces her ancestors once lived in.advertisementSpeaking to India Today about the Supreme Court verdict, Sultana said, "The one hope I had in the Supreme Court has also ended. It feels like the ground beneath my feet has slipped away. My last hope now lies with the Modi government."
On Monday, a bench of Chief Justice (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and Justice PV Sanjay Kumar dismissed her plea seeking possession of the Red Fort on account of allegedly being the legal heir of the emperor."Why only Red Fort? Why not Fatehpur Sikri? Why leave them also? Writ is completely misconceived. Dismissed," the court said.However, Sultana said she never asked for the Red Fort. "We didn't ask for the Red Fort or Fatehpur Sikri. We only said that kings and emperors had palaces and homes. Then where is Bahadur Shah Zafar's home? We only sought his rightful residence," she said.advertisementAn emotional Sultana said Bahadur Shah Zafar sacrificed everything for the country, but all his properties were taken away.After the first War of Independence in 1857, Zafar, who became the face of the rebellion, was exiled to Rangoon. He died in 1862."Was Bahadur Shah Zafar's loyalty in vain? He sacrificed his crown for the nation. Everything he had was taken from him by the British. Today, the traitors are prospering, while Zafar's descendants are wandering in despair," Sultana further said.'RECEIVED INVITE FROM PAKISTAN'Sultana also claimed that she had received an invitation from Pakistan to settle there but refused to betray her country."I could have left India in 1981 when people from the US and Paris offered to take me there. They said I had no respect here, and my children would live better abroad. We even received an offer from Pakistan, but we refused... We would never let Bahadur Shah Zafar feel ashamed," she said.Sultana emphasised that traitors like Mir Jafar were rewarded, but Zafar's descendents were "suffering miserably". "History shows how traitors like Mir Jafar benefited, while we, who remained loyal to our nation, are left to struggle," she said.She has now pinned her hopes on the Modi government to find a solution to her issue. "We haven't approached anyone yet. We'll see what happens next. If nothing works out, we will petition the government," she said.Must Watch
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