Bhojshala Dispute: MP Govt Assures Supreme Court It Will Identify A Site Closer To Complex For Friday Namaz
· Free Press Journal
The Madhya Pradesh government on Wednesday assured the Supreme Court that it would identify a site closer to the Bhojshala complex in Dhar for offering Friday namaz, after Muslim parties objected to the location currently allotted by the administration.
The assurance came after Muslim parties moved an application before the apex court, arguing that the administration had failed to comply with the court's earlier direction. They submitted that while the Supreme Court had ordered that a plot adjacent to the Bhojshala complex be allotted for Friday prayers, the site identified by the administration was around 2 km away from the complex, Live Law reports.
Visit cat-cross.com for more information.
Court pushes for practical solution
Senior Advocate Huzefa Ahmadi mentioned the application before Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Wednesday morning, seeking an urgent hearing on Thursday.
Appearing for the Madhya Pradesh government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta disputed the claim that the allotted site was 2 km away, stating that it was about 900 metres from the Bhojshala complex. However, he informed the court that he had asked the authorities to identify a location even closer to the site.
"I have asked them to identify a nearby site, and the process is going on," Mehta told the court.
Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed that an adjacent site had been used earlier for offering namaz in compliance with the court's direction. Responding to the concern, Mehta said he had already held discussions with the authorities and that efforts were underway to resolve the issue, though he sought some more time.
Friday prayers remain at the centre of dispute
When Ahmadi pointed out that two Friday prayers had already been missed, Mehta assured the bench that the Supreme Court's order would be implemented in both letter and spirit.
Internet Shutdown Rumours Swirl After Fresh Violence Near Jantar Mantar, Authorities Yet To ConfirmChief Justice Surya Kant then said the matter could be listed on Friday and directed the State to identify an alternate site adjacent to the Bhojshala complex in the meantime.
The application has been filed in the petitions through which Muslim parties are challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Court's order declaring the historical Bhojshala as a temple and restraining the use of the property for Islamic prayers.
Last week, the Supreme Court declined to stay the High Court's order. At the same time, it directed the State administration to allot an adjacent site for Friday namaz after the petitioners argued that the place holds special religious significance for Muslims, as prayers had been offered there for centuries.
The latest proceedings indicate that the dispute has now shifted from the broader legal challenge to the practical implementation of the Supreme Court's interim directions, with the location of the alternative prayer site becoming the immediate point of contention.