New Delhi: The Muslim community, on Friday, appeared divided over the Madhya Pradesh High Court verdict that recognised the Bhojshala complex as a Hindu temple and the property of King Bhoj.
The court has granted the Hindu side the exclusive right to perform worship at the site while dismissing the petitions filed by the Muslim side and the Jain community.
Reacting to the same, President of the Indian Sufi Foundation, Kashish Warsi, appealed to Muslims across the country to peacefully accept the decision.
Speaking to IANS, he said: “‘Namaz’ was offered there only on Fridays and Hindus used to perform worship on Tuesdays. Idols (of Hindu Goddesses) used to be removed from there on Fridays. Then the place was cleaned for namaz,” he said.
Warsi asserted that a “true Muslim” won’t offer namaz at a disputed site.
“Just like the Babri Masjid verdict, this decision too should be accepted by the (Muslim) community because going against the court amounts to contempt of court,” he said.
Reiterating his appeal, Warsi said: “I would appeal to everyone not to be misled by anyone, especially those having a communal mindset.”
He added that one should refrain from taking the law into one’s hands and instead can approach the Supreme Court if they disagree with the decision.
However, Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahli said that the High Court’s verdict regarding Bhojshala has caused “disappointment” among Muslims.
“Legally, the option of approaching the Supreme Court is still open to us,” he told IANS.
Mahli sounded optimistic that the Supreme Court “will serve justice”.
Congress MLA Arif Masood also echoed that the Muslim side will appeal in the Supreme Court.
He said: “The case of the Kamal Maula Mosque is very old, and this dispute has been going on for a long time. The controversy continued even after it was handed over to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).”
“We have spoken to the party that was fighting the case, and all of us together will challenge this matter in the Supreme Court,” he mentioned.
He added: “The administration should not hand over the property till the Supreme Court delivers its verdict.”
While allowing only Hindu worship at the site, the High Court also considered the Muslim community. It suggested that the government consider allocating alternative land for a mosque if they so desire.
(IANS)
