Bhopal/Dhar: The Opposition Congress on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court’s verdict of permitting both the communities, Muslims and Hindus, to offer prayers at the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh.
Responding to the development, Madhya Pradesh Congress President Jitu Patwari said that the Supreme Court has given its verdict on the Bhojshala issue and it is the duty of every citizen to follow the direction and maintain law and order.
“The Madhya Pradesh government must ensure that people from both the communities offer their prayers at Bhojshala. I believe that Chief Minister Mohan Yadav will also give instructions to officials to comply with the direction issued by the Supreme Court,” Patwari told IANS.
Another Congress MLA, Arif Masood, who belongs to the Muslim community, talking to IANS over phone said that the minority community welcomes the Supreme Court’s verdict in the case.
“There was a similar situation in the past also when Hindus and Muslims offered their prayers at the disputed site. We believe that people from both sides visiting there will maintain law and order and they will also respect the faith of the other community,” Masood stated.
Masood further stated that the apex court’s verdict is a signal in Hindustan that this is a message of love, this place is not of hate.
“In 2016, when I had filed a petition in the Indore High Court, the same decision had been taken then as well. Today, the Supreme Court, taking that as the basis, has said that the ASI order should be implemented, that namaz should also be held and puja should also be held,” he told IANS.
Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh responding to the matter said that the dispute has been going on for years but the people were offering prayers at the site peacefully since 2003-04. “Now it is the state government’s responsibility to follow the SC’s direction,” Singh said, adding that he welcomes the top court’s verdict.
The ruling BJP in the state, however, had not made any official statement till the filing of this report.
As the Hindu annual festival of Basant Panchami falls this time on Friday, which is the day that Muslims offer their weekly Namaz, and people from both the communities will be visiting the disputed structure to offer prayers, there is a high alert in Dhar district.
The Supreme Court, hearing the matter on Thursday, allowed Hindu prayers from sunrise to sunset on Basant Panchami day this Friday and permitted Muslims to offer namaz from 1 pm to 3 pm at the site.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi made an appeal to both sides to observe mutual respect and cooperate with the state and district administration for maintenance of law and order.
The Court directed Dhar district administration to make law and order arrangements at the site for offering of prayers by both communities.
Hindus consider Bhojshala, an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)-protected 11th-century monument, to be a temple dedicated to Vagdevi (Goddess Saraswati), while the Muslim community calls it Kamal Maula mosque.
Under an arrangement made by the ASI on April 7, 2003, Hindus perform puja on the Bhojshala premises on Tuesdays and Muslims offer namaz in the complex on Fridays.
(IANS)
