Bareilly, Jan 23 (IANS) With the Supreme Court allowing both Basant Panchami worship and Friday namaz to be held at the disputed Bhojshala Temple–Kamal Maula Mosque complex in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district, All India Muslim Jamaat National President Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi said that the decision would not resolve the issue and could instead escalate the dispute further.

Speaking to IANS, Maulana Razvi noted that the dispute over the Kamal Maula Mosque in Dhar has been ongoing for many years and is currently under judicial consideration.

“The Supreme Court has now ordered that puja can be performed until sunrise, after which namaz will be offered. However, the Court has not yet delivered a final verdict on ownership rights. The present order is only with regard to conducting religious activities such as puja and namaz,” he said.

The cleric noted that the ownership case remains pending and a final decision is expected in due course.

“In my view, with this decision, the dispute will not be solved but may escalate further. However, I do not want such a situation to arise in the future. When different religious communities come into conflict, it creates tension, and there is a risk of disputes escalating,” Razvi told IANS.

He appealed for calm and restraint, adding that all sides should ensure that peace and harmony are maintained and that no untoward incident takes place in the future.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, hearing an urgent plea filed by the Hindu Front for Justice (HFJ), which sought exclusive rights for Hindus to perform Saraswati Puja throughout the day on Basant Panchami on Friday, had laid down specific arrangements to enable both communities to perform their respective religious observances. The Bench, also comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi, ordered that namaz may be offered between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at a separately demarcated space within the premises.

On the controversy involving Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati related to bathing in Prayagraj, Maulana Razvi said that the matter should now be laid to rest.

“The dispute that arose over the issue should be resolved, and Shankaracharya ji should also let go of his displeasure,” he added.

–IANS

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