Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], July 15 (ANI): In a significant development regarding the ongoing Dhar Bhojshala/Kamal Maula complex dispute, the Supreme Court has issued an interim order permitting the resumption of Friday prayers at the site, partially reversing a previous directive by the High Court.
The legal intervention brings temporary clarity to the highly contested site, ensuring that the existing structure remains protected while the larger judicial process unfolds.
Reacting to the top court’s directive, Zulfikar Pathan, President of the Kamal Maula Masjid Namaz Intazamia Committee, emphasised that while this is a crucial step, the legal battle is far from over.
“The ruling delivered by the Supreme Court is an interim order; it is not the final judgment,” Pathan stated, acknowledging the efforts of the legal team representing the committee. “Our senior counsels–Salman Khurshid, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, and Ahmadi–presented excellent arguments on behalf of the Muslim community,” he told ANI.
The committee had approached the apex court to challenge an earlier High Court directive that had disrupted long-standing religious practices at the complex.
“We had filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court challenging the High Court’s order that had halted prayers; our senior lawyers argued our case there, highlighting that prayers had been offered at the Kamal Maula Mosque for the past 800 years,” Pathan explained.
Detailing the specific operational guidelines laid down by the apex court for the weekly congregation and the preservation of the monument, Pathan added, “The Supreme Court has now allowed prayers to resume–reversing the High Court’s stoppage–through this interim order. The order directs that arrangements be made for Friday prayers to be offered in an open area between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM. It also instructs the ASI to maintain the site exactly as it is, without any alterations or tampering…”
On the other hand, on Tuesday, Hindu Front for Justice state vice-president and Bhojshala petitioner Ashish Goyal reacted to the Supreme Court’s interim order directing that a separate open space adjacent to the complex may be provided to the Muslim community for offering namaz and said have complete faith in the judiciary.
“If any party is dissatisfied with the existing arrangement and has approached the Supreme Court, today was the first hearing. Following today’s proceedings, it appears there may be a regular hearing or even a final hearing after about three weeks. I believe we should act within the framework of the Constitution and move forward with faith in the judiciary. Whatever arrangements or directions are made by the courts should be followed,” Goyal said on Tuesday.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Supreme Court issued notice to the Centre and the Madhya Pradesh government on a batch of appeals filed by the Muslim side challenging the High Court verdict, which held the disputed 11th-century Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex in Dhar district as a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati.
The Supreme Court said it will examine the case; as an interim measure, a separate open space adjacent to the complex may be provided to the Muslim community for offering namaz on Friday between 1 pm and 3 pm.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court refused to restore the status quo ante (the previous state of affairs) at the disputed Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Mosque Complex in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, while issuing notice on a batch of appeals filed by the Muslim side challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s verdict declaring the disputed monument to be a Hindu temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati.
The appeals filed by the Muslim side challenge the May 15 judgment of the Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which declared that the religious character of the disputed monument is that of Bhojshala, a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati.
The High Court had further observed that the Union Government may consider representations seeking the return of the idol of Goddess Saraswati, presently housed in a London museum, and its reinstallation at the Bhojshala complex. Simultaneously, it observed that if the Muslim community sought allotment of suitable land within Dhar district for construction of a mosque or place of prayer, the State Government could consider such a request in accordance with law. (ANI)
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