The Supreme Court agreed to hear the Muslim side’s plea in the dispute involving the Bhojshala complex in Dhar on Friday after the petitioners alleged that the alternate site identified by the Madhya Pradesh government for offering Friday namaz is too far from the disputed complex.On Tuesday, a Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana asked solicitor general Tushar Mehta to obtain instructions from the Madhya Pradesh government on the possibility of providing an alternate prayer site adjacent to the disputed complex. Appearing for the Muslim side, senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi submitted that the court’s earlier order had directed the state to provide an open space near the Bhojshala site for offering prayers. However, he alleged that the land identified by the authorities was around 2 km away.”The order was that land should be near the Bhojshala site. The land given for Friday prayer is 2 km away. We have already missed Friday prayers,” Ahmadi told the Bench, news agency PTI reported.Responding on behalf of the Madhya Pradesh government, solicitor general Tushar Mehta said the alternate site was approximately 900 metres from the disputed complex. He assured the court that he would personally verify the issue. “I will personally look into this and rectify it,” Mehta said, acccording to PTI.Justice Bagchi underlined that the court’s previous directions must be implemented as intended. “The court’s earlier order has to be followed in letter and spirit,” Justice Bagchi observed.The Bench thereafter agreed to list the matter for hearing on Friday and directed the solicitor general to seek instructions from the state government regarding the provision of an “adjacent site” for offering namaz.The issue arises from the Supreme Court’s interim order of July 14, when it heard appeals filed by the Muslim side against the Madhya Pradesh high court’s judgment declaring the disputed Bhojshala complex a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati.In that order, the apex court directed the state government to provide Muslims with a separate open space adjacent to the disputed site for offering Friday namaz between 1 pm and 3 pm until the matter is finally decided.The Bench had clarified that the arrangement would remain ad hoc and subject to the final outcome of the petitions. It also directed the Archaeological Survey of India not to carry out any structural changes at the disputed site without prior permission from the court.While passing the interim directions, the Supreme Court urged restraint from both communities, observing that Bhojshala was a sensitive dispute. The court also indicated its readiness to hear the matter on a day-to-day basis if necessary.
