Dhar, May 15 (IANS) Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, who represented the Hindu side in the Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Mosque dispute, on Friday termed the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s verdict “historic” after the Indore bench declared the disputed complex in Dhar as belonging to Raja Bhoj and granted Hindus the right to worship.​

Speaking to the media after the court pronounced its judgment, Jain said, “The Indore High Court has delivered a historic verdict, partially setting aside the Archaeological Survey of India’s order dated April 7, 2003.”​

He added that the court has recognised the Bhojshala complex as belonging to Raja Bhoj and granted the Hindu side the right to worship.​

“The court has granted us the right to perform worship rituals and has directed the government to oversee the management of the site,” he said.​

Jain, who had pushed for an Archaeological Survey of India survey of the site, said the court has completely set aside the Archaeological Survey of India’s previous order that granted the right to offer Namaz.​

“Henceforth, only Hindu worship shall take place there,” he stated.​

On the Hindu side’s demand for the repatriation of the idol of Goddess Vagdevi, currently housed in a London museum, Jain said the court has directed the government to consider the request.​

“The court has directed the government to consider this request. The court also noted that the Muslim side is free to present its views before the government as well,” he said.​

He further said the court has asked the government to consider allocating alternative land to the Muslim side.​

The court held that the Muslim community could approach the state government regarding the allotment of separate land in the district for the construction of a mosque.​

The matter concerns the religious significance of the Archaeological Survey of India-protected monument in Dhar district, where Hindus regard the site as a temple of Goddess Saraswati, while Muslims refer to it as the Kamal Maula Mosque.​

The petition in the case was filed in 2022 by Ranjana Agnihotri and others on behalf of the Hindu Front for Justice, seeking to determine the religious nature of Bhojshala and grant full rights to the Hindu community.​

In 2024, the Archaeological Survey of India conducted a 98-day scientific survey of the Bhojshala complex.​

Regular hearings began in the High Court on April 6 and continued until May 12.​

–IANS

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