Dhar (Madhya Pradesh): The Madhya Pradesh High Court hearing on a dispute over the Bhojshala temple-Kamal Maula Mosque complex in Dhar was deferred to Wednesday due to a lawyers’ strike on Monday, a litigant said.
Hindus consider Bhojshala to be a temple of Goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati), while the Muslim community calls the 11th-century monument Kamal Maula Mosque. The disputed complex is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and a case regarding the site is pending in court.
On January 22, the Supreme Court directed the HC to unseal the scientific survey report submitted by the ASI in a sealed cover on the disputed complex.
Following the order, the matter was listed before the high court for the first time on Monday.
Amid the statewide lawyers’ strike, litigants from both the Hindu and Muslim communities appeared before the court in person.
Ashish Goyal, a litigant associated with the petitioner organisation ‘Hindu Front for Justice’ told reporters that the hearing was deferred because of the lawyers’ strike.
He said the court has fixed February 18 (Wednesday) as the next date of hearing. From the Muslim side, Abdul Samad, associated with the Maulana Kamaluddin Welfare Society, was present in the high court.
Samad said the petition has termed as improper an ASI order dated April 7, 2003, related to the disputed complex and alleged that the order is not being properly implemented.
Under the ASI order issued after the dispute over the Dhar complex began, Hindus are permitted to offer prayers at the site on Tuesdays, while Muslims are allowed to perform namaz there on Fridays.
Noting that ASI has completed the scientific survey and has submitted its report in a sealed cover to the high court, the apex court last month directed the HC to unseal the report and it was to be supplied to the parties concerned, who can file objections to it.
