Dhar (Madhya Pradesh), Jan 22 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Rameshwar Sharma said on Thursday that people from the Muslim community should act wisely, maintain harmony with Hindus, and allow worship at the Bhojshala temple in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh.

Sharma made the statement while responding to the Supreme Court’s order allowing members of both communities — Hindu and Muslim — to offer prayers at the disputed Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula mosque in Dhar on Friday.

“Muslims themselves believe that if God is present in a temple, their prayers are not accepted there. So, they should understand this and act wisely, maintain harmony with Hindus, and allow worship at Bhojshala,” Sharma said late on Thursday.

Sharma, who is the MLA from Bhopal’s Huzur Assembly constituency and projects himself as a hardcore Hindutva leader in the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, further stated that ‘Sanatanis’ (Hindus) will keep knocking on the Supreme Court’s door for the worship of Goddess Saraswati at the disputed site.

Notably, the Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula mosque complex is a disputed site as both Hindus and Muslims claim their religious faith is associated with it.

The dispute centres on the fact that 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 the Kamal Maula mosque.

The fresh row emerged as the Basant Panchami festival of Hindus falls on Friday (January 23), when Muslims will also gather at the site for namaz on the same day.

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 Supreme Court, hearing the matter on Thursday, allowed Hindu prayers from sunrise to sunset on Basant Panchami (Friday) and permitted Muslims to offer namaz from 1 pm to 3 pm the same day at the disputed site.

Complying with the direction of the Supreme Court, the Dhar district administration has strengthened security, deploying over 8,000 police personnel and Rapid Action Force (RAF) units in and around the disputed site.

“We are fully prepared for the Basant Panchami festival, which is falling on Friday. Our primary objective is to ensure better law and order,” Dhar district Collector Priyank Mishra said while briefing the media on Thursday.

Garg also appealed to media organisations to refrain from any kind of interpretation of the Supreme Court’s verdict regarding permission for Hindus and Muslims to offer religious prayers at the site.

He also issued a stern warning that any content inciting religious hatred, whether through newspapers, electronic media, or social media platforms like WhatsApp or Facebook, will invite strict action under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the IT Act.

–IANS

pd/pgh