SC allows Saraswati Puja, Friday namaz at MPs disputed Bhojshala; sets timings, appeals for mutual respect
The top court directed Hindu devotees to pray from sunrise to sunset on the Hindu festival of Basant Panchami on Friday while those from Muslim community have been allowed to offer their Friday prayers from 1 pm to 3 pm.
New Delhi: Both Hindu and Muslim devotees will be allowed to offer prayers at the disputed Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Mosque complex in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district on Friday, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday the Saraswati Puja or Basant Panchavi festival coincides with customary Friday prayers. The medieval-era structure in Dhar district is locked in a long-running dispute.
The top court directed Hindu devotees to pray from sunrise to sunset on the Hindu festival of Basant Panchami on Friday while those from Muslim community have been allowed to offer their Friday prayers from 1 pm to 3 pm.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi said that a list of people who will visit the complex to offer namaz needs to be given to the district administration.
SC appealed to both sides to maintain mutual respect
The apex court also directed the administration make the necessary arrangements and ensure that law and order is maintained. The bench also appealed to both sides to maintain mutual respect and trust towards each other and cooperate with the state and district administration for the maintenance of law and order.
The Chief Justice said that the Additional Solicitor General had suggested that a limit be placed on the number of members allowed to enter and exit for prayers, and that a separate entrance be designated for the Basant Panchami puja.
What is Bhojshala row
The top court was hearing a petition filed by a Hindu outfit, the Hindu Front for Justice (HFJ), which sought exclusive rights for Hindus to offer prayers on Basant Panchami. In its plea, filed by advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, the Hindu outfit said that the Archaeological Survey of India's (ASI) 2003 order does not address situations where Basant Panchami falls on a Friday. The 2003 ASI order allows Muslims to offer Friday namaz at the site between 1 am and 3 pm while Hindus can performthe traditional rituals on Basant Panchami with exclusive access every Tuesday.
Hindus consider Bhojshala, an 11th-century monument, to be a temple dedicated to Vagdevi (Goddess Saraswati), while the Muslim community calls it Kamal Maula mosque.