The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear on Friday a plea filed by the Muslim side, which alleged that the alternate site identified by the Madhya Pradesh government for offering Friday namaz is too far from the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Complex in Dhar.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to seek instructions from the Madhya Pradesh government on whether an alternate prayer site can be provided adjacent to the disputed complex.
Senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, appearing for the Muslim side, told the court that its earlier order had clearly directed the state government to provide an open space near the Bhojshala complex for Friday prayers. However, he argued that the site allotted by the authorities was located about 2 km away.
“The order was that land should be near the Bhojshala site. The land given for Friday prayer is 2 km away. We have already missed Friday prayers,” Ahmadi submitted before the bench.
Representing the Madhya Pradesh government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the alternate site was around 900 metres from the disputed complex and not 2 km away as claimed by the petitioners. He assured the court that he would personally examine the issue and take corrective action if required.
“I will personally look into this and rectify it,” Mehta told the bench.
Supreme Court Says Earlier Order Must Be Followed
During the hearing, Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed that the Supreme Court’s previous direction “has to be followed in letter and spirit.”
The bench then scheduled the matter for hearing on Friday and asked the Solicitor General to obtain instructions from the state government regarding the possibility of providing an “adjacent site” for offering Friday namaz.
Background of the Bhojshala Dispute
The issue comes after the Supreme Court, on July 14, heard appeals filed by the Muslim side challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s judgment, which declared the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Complex in Dhar to be a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati.
While hearing those appeals, the apex court had directed the state government to provide a separate open space adjacent to the disputed site where Muslims could offer Friday namaz between 1 pm and 3 pm until the dispute is finally resolved.
The Muslim side has now approached the Supreme Court again, claiming that the alternate site provided by the state does not comply with the court’s earlier direction because it is located too far from the Bhojshala complex. The Supreme Court will take up the matter again on Friday after receiving the state government’s response.
