In a significant victory for Hindus, the Allahabad High Court on Tuesday permitted to mention “disputed structure” on the wall of the Jama Masjid in Sambhal after the Muslim committee objected to the whitewashing of the structure.
The court deemed the Jama Masjid as a disputed structure after the ASI claimed that the other side was exerting pressure to paint the walls of the mosque and amid a plea made by Hindus to attempt to whitewash the history of the temple. The court is set to hear the matter on March 10.
The Hindu side challenged the 1927 agreement between the Masjid committee and the Government of India concerning the maintenance and upkeep of the monument/structure. The mosque committee took objection to the ASI report dated February 28 following which the court granted time till March 10 to the ASI to file its reply to the Masjid Committee’s objections.
The dispute centres around claims that the Shahi Jama Masjid was built after demolishing the historic Harihar Temple, which many believe originally stood at the site. A court-ordered survey of the mosque was conducted on November 24 last year. The survey sparked violent clashes, resulting in four deaths and triggering an intense investigation into the incident.
In December last year, an ancient temple, closed since 1978 following communal riots in the town, was reopened in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district. A morning aarti was performed at the temple, which houses an idol of Lord Hanuman and a Shivling.
Officials stated that the temple, located near the Shahi Jama Masjid, was discovered during an anti-encroachment drive. Locals claimed that the temple had remained locked since 1978 after communal riots led to the displacement of the Hindu community in the area.
