Supreme Court Urged to Not Succumb to Bullying in Bhojshala Mosque Row

In the ongoing Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque complex dispute, the Muslim side has urged the Madhya Pradesh government not to yield to pressure regarding the allocation of an alternative site for Friday prayers. The appeal was made in the Supreme Court on Wednesday, after the state expressed concerns over law and order.

Senior advocate Huzeifa Ahmadi, representing the Muslim petitioners, told a bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant that the district administration had allotted a site 1.3 km away from the disputed complex, contrary to the court's earlier direction for a site 'near and adjacent'.

The Supreme Court had on July 14 directed the state to identify an open space near the complex where Muslims could offer Friday namaz as an interim measure until the dispute is resolved. Ahmadi submitted that he had identified four nearby sites, but the Collector only offered a distant location.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that an alternative site had been discussed, but Ahmadi claimed it was also far away and part of a brewery. He proposed using land adjacent to a dargah next to the Bhojshala site. Mehta countered that there were law and order issues, citing geographical constraints on entry and exit.

The dispute centres on the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque complex in Dhar district, which is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Hindus consider it a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, while Muslims regard it as the Kamal Maula mosque. On May 15, the Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled that the complex is a temple, quashing an ASI order allowing Friday prayers at the site.

The Supreme Court has not restored the previous arrangement but directed the state to provide an alternative prayer site. It also prohibited the ASI from making structural changes to the complex without prior court permission. The case continues.