Madhya Pradesh High Court Declares Bhojshala in Dhar as Temple
Bhojshala Complex's Disputed Area Is Temple: Madhya Pradesh High Court
Bhopal: In a significant verdict, the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh high court on Friday ruled that the disputed Bhojshala complex in Dhar in the state is a Hindu temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati (Vagdevi).
The ruling is seen as parallel to the supreme court verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi- Babri masjid dispute, paving the way for the construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.
A division bench of the Madhya Pradesh high court comprising Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla and Justice Alok Awasthi also quashed the order of 2003 issued by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the protector of the Bhojshala temple- Kamal Maula Mosque complex, permitting to offer Namaz by the Muslims at the site and suggested the community to approach the government for alternative site elsewhere to build a masjid.
Amid the decades-long dispute over the competing claims by the Hindus and Muslims over the 11th century monument, the ASI had made an arrangement in 2003 allowing Hindus to worship at the Vagdevi temple on every Tuesday and Muslims to offer Namaz at the mosque, situated on the other side in the complex, on every Friday.
While Hindus regard the Bhojshala as a temple dedicated to Vagdevi, Muslims call it the Kamal Maula Mosque built more than a century ago.
This led to the dispute.
The high court had last year ordered the ASI to do a scientific survey of the complex to decide whether the mosque was built by demolishing a temple at the site.
The ASI had submitted its report to the court around five months prompting the court to begin hearing in the case.
The court has held that historical records, archaeological material and literary evidence established the religious character of the monument as a Saraswati temple associated with Raja Bhoj, the Paramar ruler credited with making Dhar a Centre of Sanskrit learning.
“We have noted the continuity of the Hindu worship at the site, through, regulated over time”, the court has observed.
In a move to safeguard the religious rights of the Muslims, the bench said that ‘In order to secure the religious rights of the Muslim community, in case the respondent no.1 (Muslim community) submits an application for allotment of suitable land within Dhar district for construction of the mosque, the state may consider the said application as per law.’
The court has also held that the ASI will continue to have overall administration and management of the monument.
Reacting to the verdict, AIMIM (All India Majlis-e- Ittehadul Muslimeen) chief Asaduddin Owaisi has drawn a parallel between the court order in the case of Bhojshala temple- Kamal Maula Mosque dispute in Dhar and the supreme court judgement in Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid issue in Ayodhya, indicating that the order of the Madhya Pradesh high court will be challenged in the supreme court.
“We hope the Supreme Court will set this right and overturn this order. Glaring similarities with the Babri Masjid judgement”, a post by him on X said.
Meanwhile, the Hindu groups have hailed the verdict and said that the court has recognized the exclusive rights of Hindus over the complex.
In a related development, security has been tightened in Dhar district to maintain law and order in the wake of the high court verdict on the vexed issue.
Dhar district collector Rajiv Ranjan Meena appealed to the people to maintain peace in the district and avoid spreading misleading information or rumours.
