New Delhi: The Supreme Court has allowed Hindu prayers from sunrise to sunset on Basant Panchami on Friday, January 23, at the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque in Madhya Pradesh‘s Dhar district, while permitting Muslims to offer namaz from 1 pm to 3 pm on the day.
The top court on Thursday, January 22, also directed that a list of persons from the Muslim community coming for namaz be given to the district administration.
Hindu and Muslim groups have sought nod for religious activities at the Bhojshala complex on January 23, a Friday when Saraswati Puja will also be held on the occasion of Basant Panchami.
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.
“A fair suggestion was given that in the afternoon, for namaz within 1 and 3 pm, an exclusive and separate area within the same compound, including separate ingress and egress within the same compound, shall be made available so that namaz can be performed.
“Similarly, a separate space shall be made available to the Hindu community to hold traditional ceremonies on the occasion of Basant Panchami,” the Supreme Court bench said.
It directed the district administration to make law and order arrangements at the site for offering of prayers.
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.
The top court was hearing a plea filed by the Hindu Front for Justice seeking exclusive rights for Hindus to offer prayers on Basant Panchami. The plea filed through advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain was mentioned for urgent hearing on Tuesday.
Jain had said that the ASI’s 2003 order does not address situations where Basant Panchami coincides with Friday prayers and sought exclusive, uninterrupted worship rights for Hindus for the entire day on Basant Panchami.
During the hearing on Thursday, Jain submitted that there will be pujas and havans from sunrise to sunset and sought permission for worship throughout the day.
Senior advocate Salman Khurshid, for the mosque committee, submitted that the Friday namaz takes place between 1 pm and 3 pm, and the premises can be vacated after that.
Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, for the Centre and ASI, assured the court that the district administration will take care of the law and order situation.
The top court also disposed of an appeal filed by the Maulana Kamaluddin Welfare Society challenging the March 11, 2024, order of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on the “scientific survey” of the complex.
The apex court directed the high court that the matter may be taken up by a division bench headed by one of the senior-most judges of the High Court.
Noting that ASI has completed the scientific survey and has submitted its report in a sealed cover to the High Court, the top court directed the High Court to unseal the report and be supplied to the parties, who can file objections to it.
“If such part cannot be copied, the parties may be allowed to inspect in presence of their counsels. Let objections be filed and thereafter case be taken for final hearing.
“Till the writ is finally decided, the parties shall maintain status quo at the site. However, parties shall continue to follow and abide by ASI order of April 2023,” the bench said.
Security tightened at mosque
Soon after the Supreme Court ruling, nearly 8,000 police personnel, including those from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Rapid Action Force, have been deployed throughout Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh, officials said.
Closed circuit television (CCTV) camera surveillance, foot and vehicle patrols and social media activity are being closely tracked across the city, a police official said.
Saffron flags and “Akhand Puja” (continuous prayers) billboards have been put up in the city ahead of the Basant Panchami.
Ashok Jain, patron of the Bhoj Utsav Committee, said 30,000 to 50,000 devotees are expected to participate in the puja.
The Bhojshala complex has been divided into five-six sectors, with deployments being conducted in a phased manner, Indore Rural Range Inspector General of Police, Anurag, told reporters on Wednesday evening, January 21.
Drone cameras are being used to maintain law and order, an official said.
Congress appeals for calm but BJP blames Congress
Congress veteran and former MP chief minister Digvijaya Singh has appealed to Hindus and Muslims to maintain communal harmony.
“I appeal to all Hindu and Muslim brothers to maintain communal harmony. Our state is a symbol of peace and it is the moral responsibility of the government and administration to establish this peace legally,” Singh said in a post on X.
Reacting to the Congress leader’s post, MP Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Ajay Singh Yadav told reporters on Wednesday, January 21, that the Bhojshala controversy surfaced when Digvijaya Singh was the state’s chief minister.
The Congress leader has always taken steps against Sanatan Dharma for the sake of appeasement politics, which is why he is making such statements, he claimed. He must understand that the sentiments of the Sanatani people are attached to Bhojshala, the BJP leader said.
