SOURCE :- SIASAT NEWS
Hyderabad: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday, May 15, sharply criticised the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s ruling in the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque dispute, calling the judgment “erroneous” and alleging that it ignored constitutional safeguards, historical records and the Places of Worship Act.
Speaking in Hyderabad after the verdict, Owaisi said the court had failed to consider key documents, including the 1935 Dhar State Gazette and the 1985 Waqf registration records. He also argued that the ongoing civil dispute over the title of the Bhojshala complex had been overlooked.
“We consider this judgment erroneous because the Court ignored the 1935 Dhar State Gazette, 1985 Waqf registration, and also ignored the Places of Worship Act. The Court also ignored the ongoing civil dispute case of the title,” Owaisi said.
Comparison with Babri Masjid ruling
The AIMIM chief compared the ruling to the Babri Masjid-Ram Mandir judgment, alleging that it set a precedent that could trigger future disputes over religious sites across the country. According to him, the verdict gives primacy to one religion while undermining the worship rights of other communities.
MP HC’s ruling
The Madhya Pradesh High Court’s Indore bench on May 15 declared that the disputed Bhojshala complex in Dhar is a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati. The bench also observed that there were indications of a Sanskrit teaching centre and a Saraswati temple existing at the site.
At the same time, the court said the Muslim community could approach the state government for allotment of separate land in Dhar district for the construction of a mosque. “If the Maulana Kamaluddin Welfare Society applies for land allotment for building a mosque in Dhar district, the state government can consider it,” the division bench stated.
The court also scrapped the 2003 Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) arrangement that had allowed Hindus to worship at the complex on Tuesdays and Muslims to offer Friday prayers there.
The long-running dispute centres on the religious character of the ASI-protected monument in Dhar district. Hindus consider Bhojshala to be a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, while Muslims identify it as the Kamal Maula Mosque. A Jain petitioner has also claimed that the site was originally a medieval Jain temple and gurukul.
The verdict followed extensive hearings before a division bench of Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi. The court heard multiple petitions and a writ appeal involving Hindu, Muslim and Jain parties, all of whom sought exclusive worship rights over the disputed structure.
ASI survey
The ASI had conducted a scientific survey of the complex following a High Court order issued on March 11, 2024. After a 98-day exercise, the agency submitted a detailed report exceeding 2,000 pages in July last year.
According to the ASI, evidence gathered during the survey suggested that a massive structure dating back to the Parmar dynasty existed before the mosque, and that the current structure incorporated repurposed temple components. Hindu petitioners cited coins, sculptures and inscriptions found during the survey as proof that the complex was originally a temple.
Muslim side challenges ASI report
The Muslim side, however, challenged the ASI report in court, calling it “biased” and alleging that it was prepared to support the Hindu claimants. The ASI rejected the allegation, stating that the survey was conducted scientifically with the involvement of experts, including members from the Muslim community.
SOURCE : SIASAT
