Madhya Pradesh to give Rs 5 lakh to families of 3 killed during 2003 Bhojshala protest

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Monday announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of three persons who died in February 2003 during protests seeking to declare the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque complex in Dhar district as a temple, The Hindu reported.

The 11th-century building, protected by the Archaeological Survey of India, had been claimed by both Hindus and Muslims. While the Hindus believe that the Bhojshala is a temple dedicated to the deity Vagdevi, or Saraswati, the building is a mosque for the Muslim community.

In February 2003, several Hindutva groups, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, launched a protest demanding complete access to the site after claiming that it was a temple built by King Bhoja, an 11th-century ruler of the Parmar dynasty, The Hindu reported.

Three men – Van Singh Araadi, Lakshman Singh and Anwar Singh – were killed in clashes with security forces at the time.

Subsequently, under an arrangement made by the Archaeological Survey of India on April 7, 2003, Hindus performed prayers on the premises on Tuesdays and Muslims offered namaz in the complex on Fridays.

However, on May 15, the Madhya Pradesh High Court held that the disputed complex is a temple of the Hindu deity Saraswati and quashed the 2003 Archaeological Survey of India order.

During an event in...

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