AGRA: The Intezamia Committee for Shahi Eidgah in Mathura on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court’s (SC) decision to extend the interim stay on the operation of the Allahabad High Court order for a court-monitored survey of the mosque complex in Mathura.
Committee secretary and lawyer Tanveer Ahmed said, “What is the hurry for those demanding a survey at the Shahi Idgah Mosque? It is a well-protected structure and is under CRPF surveillance which rules out any foul play. We will take further action after reading the court order.
The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned a series of petitions related to the controversy till the first half of April and extended an interim stay on the HC order appointing a commission to inspect the mosque complex in Mathura.
A bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Dutta was hearing special leave petitions filed by the Masjid Committee and Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board, challenging the Allahabad HC’s May 2023 order transferring several cases to it . Another SLP filed by the mosque committee was also listed before the bench, challenging the order passed by the HC in December 2023 allowing the appointment of a court commissioner to inspect the mosque.
In the SLP, the mosque committee argued that the HC should have considered the plaintiff’s plea for rejection before deciding on any other miscellaneous application in the suit. The committee has sought dismissal of the suit on the grounds that the suit is barred by the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act 1991. Simply because the application for appointment of the Commission was filed eight days before the application for rejection of the plaint. There was no reason to take a decision in the first place.
The Hindu side had prayed before the High Court that it should conduct the original hearing in the same manner as it had done in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi ownership dispute.
The apex court in September refused to entertain a plea by Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Mukti Nirman Trust seeking a scientific survey of the mosque complex, leaving all questions related to the land dispute open to the Allahabad HC to decide .
Recently, the HC dismissed a PIL seeking recognition of the disputed site as Krishna Janmabhoomi and removal of the mosque, observing that the structure along with proclamation, prohibition and the right to worship at the site Several lawsuits were filed to remove it. It is already pending. An SLP challenging this order of Allahabad HC was rejected by the SC earlier this month.