Disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque complex is a temple, says Madhya Pradesh HC

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday held that the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque complex in Dhar district is a temple of Hindu deity Saraswati, reported Live Law.

A bench of Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi quashed a 2003 order of the Archaeological Survey of India, which allowed Hindus to perform prayers on the premises on Tuesdays and Muslims to offer namaz in the complex on Fridays.

The court allowed the Muslim side to seek alternative land within Dhar district to build a mosque, Bar and Bench reported. If such a request is made, the state government “may consider the said application in accordance with law”, the judges said.

The bench said that historical literature and archaeological references showed that the site was a centre for learning Sanskrit and had a temple dedicated to the deity Saraswati.

The court directed the Union government and the Archaeological Survey of India to decide on how to administer and manage the property, Bar and Bench reported. “ASI will have full supervisory control over the preservation, conservation and regulation of religious practices,” the bench said.

On March 11, 2024, the Madhya Pradesh High Court directed the Archaeological Survey of India to carry out a survey of the site on a plea by a group called the Hindu Front for Justice, which has claimed that the...

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