Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Monday allowed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a survey of Bhojshala temple-cum Kamal Maula Mosque Complex in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh.
Hindus consider Bhojshala as the temple of Goddess Waghdevi while Muslims consider it as Kamal Maula's mosque. The petitioner Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, said, "My request for ASI survey of Bhojshala/Dhar in Madhya Pradesh is allowed by Indore High Court... (sic)"
"...Today, the High Court has ordered for the ASI survey. The court has said to form a five-member committee of ASI members to be headed by the Director or the Additional Director of ASI and a report needs to be submitted before the court within six weeks," Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, who moved the plea, was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
According to Jain, The Places of Worship Act of 1991 doesn't apply in the Bhojshala case because it's an ASI-protected monument and hence it has exemptions from the 1991's Act.
"This court has drawn only one conclusion that Constitutional as well as statutory obligations of the ASI to have a scientific survey, study convened at the earliest of Bhojshala Temple and Kamal Maula Mosque," observed a division bench of the High Court at Indore comprising Justices SA Dharmadhikari and Devnarayan Mishra.
The High Court direction came while hearing a plea of an outfit called Hindi Front For Justice. The bench posted the matter for next hearing on April 29.
As per arrangement made by the ASI on April 7, 2003, Hindus perform puja in the Bhojshala premises on Tuesdays, while Muslims offer namaz in the complex on Fridays. (With agency inputs)
