Dhar/Bhopal, May 15 (IANS) Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti on Friday welcomed the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s decision declaring the disputed Bhojshala complex in Dhar as a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati.

“After speaking with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in Dehradun on the Ganga, I was heading up towards Devprayag in the Himalayas when I came to know about the decision of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh on Bhojshala in Dhar district,” Bharti said on social media platform X.

The former Chief Minister added, “The High Court considered Dhar Bhojshala to be a Vaagdevi temple. All the facts of Dhar Bhojshala being a temple were presented. I am thrilled with this decision, congratulations.”

The Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday declared the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)-protected monument in Dhar district as a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati.

It added that the Muslim community could approach the state government regarding allotment of a separate land in the Dhar district for construction of a mosque.

While hearing the Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Mosque complex dispute, the Madhya Pradesh High Court said in its judgment that there were indications of a Sanskrit teaching centre as well as a temple of Goddess Saraswati in Bhojshala.

BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma reacted to the development, saying ‘Sanatanis’ have waged a long battle for the Dhar Bhojshala.

“Our faith in the Judiciary remained steadfast — that truth would prevail here — and today, that very truth has triumphed. I pay homage to the millions of Hindu martyrs who have fought for the cause of Sanatan. This is a victory for Sanatan,” Sharma said.

Sharma, a BJP MLA from Bhopal, also added, “We hope that Muslims, too, will accept the truth and extend a hand of friendship to Hindus by returning the historical markers belonging to Hindus and restoring the temples that were demolished by Mughal invaders.”

The court held that the historical and protected site is a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati.

It said the Central government and the ASI should decide how the Bhojshala Temple will be managed.

Under the 1958 Act, the ASI will retain complete management of this property.

The court also overturned the ASI’s 2003 order, which denied Hindus the right to worship at Bhojshala.

It also rejected the order granting Muslims the right to offer namaz.

The Muslim side, which has been calling Bhojshala the Kamal Maula Mosque, has been asked by the court to request separate land from the state government for the mosque.

Reacting to the judgment, Dhar Shahar Qazi Waqar Sadiq expressed disagreement with the High Court’s findings and indicated that the matter was not settled.

He said the Muslim side would study the detailed court order before deciding the next course of legal action.

“We will review the decision that has been given against us. We will challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court,” Sadiq said, making it clear that the Muslim community intends to appeal the court judgment before the apex court.

The case began in 2022 when Ranjana Agnihotri and others, on behalf of the Hindu Front for Justice, filed a petition in the High Court seeking to determine the religious nature of Bhojshala and grant full rights to the Hindu community.

In 2024, the ASI conducted a 98-day scientific survey of the Bhojshala complex.

Subsequently, on January 23, 2026, on Vasant Panchami, the Supreme Court permitted uninterrupted worship throughout the day.

Regular hearing started in the High Court from April 6, which continued till May 12.

–IANS

pd/khz