Bhojshala temple dispute: Supreme Court allows Friday namaz near site
The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to pause the Madhya Pradesh High Court's verdict declaring the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque complex in Dhar as a temple
The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to pause the Madhya Pradesh High Court's verdict declaring the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque complex in Dhar as a temple, but allowed Muslims to offer Friday prayers near the disputed site. A three-judge bench, led by Chief Justice of India () Surya Kant, allowed Muslims to offer prayers near the site on Fridays between 1 and 3 pm as an interim measure.
Read Full Story "These are sensitive matters. Let us not pass any order which can cause tension or affect the law and order situation," the said, while refusing to pass any interim verdict. The bench said the matter would be fixed for final hearing in three weeks. In the meantime, the Supreme Court also directed that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) should not make any structural changes to the monument without obtaining the court's prior permission.
The dispute over the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex is decades old. Hindus have maintained that it was a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati. The Muslims claim it to be Kamal Maula mosque. On May 15, the Madhya Pradesh High Court, based on an ASI report, accepted the claim that the site was a temple. It also cancelled a 2003 ASI circular that allowed both Hindus and Muslims to worship at the site on different days.
The High Court, however, allowed the Muslim community to seek the allotment of an alternate place in Dhar district for the construction of a mosque. Ends
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