The Muslim side on Thursday filed a case in the Supreme Court challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Court order, which said the disputed Bhoshala complex in the state’s Dhar district was a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati.
The Hindu community considers Bhojshala a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, while the Muslim side calls the 11th-century monument Kamal Mula Mosque. The disputed complex in the Dhar district is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
The appeal was filed by the mosque’s caretaker, Qazi Moinuddin, challenging the Supreme Court’s May 15 order.
Read also: Twisha Sharma death case: Runaway husband takes MP to Supreme Court on bail before arrest
In a major victory for the Hindu side, the Madhya Pradesh High Court declared that the disputed Bhoshala complex was a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, and the Center and ASI could decide on its administration and management.
The Supreme Court also quashed the April 7, 2003 order of the ASI that allowed Muslims to offer prayers inside the Bhojshala complex every Friday.
The Supreme Court bench that heard the case also said that the Muslim community may apply to the Madhya Pradesh government to allocate separate land in the area for building a mosque.
In its much-awaited judgement, the Supreme Court observed that there are indications of the existence of a Sanskrit learning center and a temple of Goddess Saraswati in the Bhoshala complex.
