High Court Adjourns Hearing on Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque Dispute in Dhar District

The Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque complex dispute in Dhar district has taken a new turn as the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has adjourned the hearing on the matter. This decision comes a week after the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) submitted its scientific survey report on the issue.

A division bench of Justice S A Dharmadhikari and D V Ramana stated that they would hear the matter once the Supreme Court order comes, as per ASI’s counsel Himanshu Joshi. The Supreme Court had agreed to consider listing a plea against the scientific survey of Bhojshala filed by the Maulana Kamaluddin Welfare Society, challenging the high court’s order for a survey to determine the shrine’s community affiliation.

The high court also mentioned that intervener applications would be considered during the final argument stage. ASI’s counsel argued that entertaining such applications would prolong the case.

The ASI had submitted a comprehensive scientific survey report, exceeding 2,000 pages, last week. The survey was ordered by the high court based on an application by the ‘Hindu Front for Justice’, giving the agency six weeks to complete the task.

The dispute revolves around the belief of the Hindu community that Bhojshala is a temple of Vagdevi (Goddess Saraswati), while the Muslim side considers it Kamal Maula Mosque. The ASI had issued an order in 2003 allowing Hindus to worship on Tuesdays and Muslims to offer namaz on Fridays at the site.

The Hindu Front for Justice has challenged this arrangement in its petition, leading to the ongoing legal battle. The high court will resume the hearing once the Supreme Court provides further direction on the matter. Stay tuned for more updates on this contentious issue.