The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear on July 29 a plea by the Muslim side alleging that the alternative location identified by the Madhya Pradesh government for prayers is too far from the disputed Bhojshala complex in Dhar.
The Muslim side is looking for a place near the Bhojshala complex to perform Friday prayers.
On July 22, a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant confirmed the listing of the petition on Friday. However, this matter was mentioned by senior lawyer Huzaifa Ahmadi at the end of the session as it did not appear in the list of reasons.
The state government authorities “allocate a site adjacent to or near the place. The Friday prayers have already been missed. The (allocated) site is 1.3 km away,” the senior counsel alleged.
Also Read: ‘In letter and spirit’: Supreme Court directs Center, MP government to ensure prayer site near Bhoshala complex
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the state government, opposed the submissions, saying: “It is 900 meters away.”
“We do not have helicopters,” Ahmadi said. “The land route is 1.3 kilometers long. There is always an attempt not to follow the orders of this court.”
The Attorney General responded, saying: “I cannot be affected by emotions.”
The interim petition will be listed for hearing on Wednesday, July 29, the CJI said.
Mehta had earlier said that he would convince the administration to locate a closer location.
Read also: Bhojshala row: Dhar Muslims reject site designated for Friday prayer
“I have asked them to identify a nearby site, and the process is continuing,” the legal officer said when the court asked him for instructions on the possibility of providing an alternative prayer site adjacent to the disputed complex.
On July 14, while hearing the appeals filed by the Muslim side against the Madhya Pradesh High Court judgment declaring the disputed Bhoshala complex a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, the bench directed the state government to provide a separate open space adjacent to the disputed site for offering Friday prayers between 1 pm and 3 pm until the matter is finally decided.
