The Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha (ABHB) approached the court saying that the Jama Masjid complex in Badaun, Uttar Pradesh, is actually built over a razed Neelkanth (Shiva) temple. The petition said that it was a fort of an erstwhile Hindu King and the existing Jama Masjid was built after razing the temple. The Civil Court on Friday ordered the registration of a case based on the plea by ABHB on the 8th of August 2022.
The Civil Court, fixing the next date of hearing on the 15th of September, sought a response from the Intzamiya committee of Jama Masjid, UP Sunni Waqf Board, UP archaeology department, Union of India, UP government via Budaun district magistrate and state chief secretary.
The petitioners of ABHB, through their lawyer, Vijay Kumar Gupta have said that the Jama Masjid Mosque was built by Shamsud-din Iltutmish in 1222 AD and a Shiva Temple was razed to build the mosque. The complex itself was the fort of a Hindu King.
According to the report in Times of India, ABHB district president Mukesh Singh Patel said, “We are aware that articles related to the ancient temple are lying in a room locked for a long time now. We had requested the court to register a case and carry out a survey to bring out the truth.”
The Jama Masjid complex is reportedly one of the largest in the country with the capacity to accommodate more than 23,000 people.
