Kamal Maula-Bhoj Shala dispute: Supreme Court clarifies alternative site for Friday prayers

New Delhi: The Supreme Court, while clarifying its earlier interim order regarding an alternative site for Friday prayers in the Kamal Maula mosque and Bhojshala dispute, said that the Muslim community can offer prayers between 1 pm and 3 pm on Fridays at an allocated alternative site near the disputed complex. The court also identified the location where prayers will be allowed.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice J.K. Maheshwari, and Justice V. Mohan was hearing a petition by the Muslim party seeking clarification on the allocation of an alternative site for Friday prayers after the Madhya Pradesh High Court's verdict. The High Court had, on May 15, declared the disputed Bhojshala complex as a temple, which has been challenged in the Supreme Court.

During the hearing, senior counsel Huzefa Ahmadi, representing the Muslim party, informed the court that a request was made to the district collector to provide alternative land, but the administration allocated a site that is not sufficiently close to the Bhojshala complex. According to him, the site is approximately 1.3 kilometers away via road and about 900 meters away in a straight line.

Ahmadi argued that there are several plots adjacent to the disputed complex that can be used for prayers, all of which are waqf properties. He presented a map to the court, identifying four possible locations, including land adjacent to the dargah. He said any of these sites would comply with the Supreme Court's order to provide an alternative site "near" the disputed complex.

He also objected to the district administration's stance, which cited law and order concerns to deny land adjacent to the disputed complex. The Muslim party argued that denying the closest site solely based on law and order concerns is not justified.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had refused to restore the previous arrangement in the disputed complex and directed the state government to provide an alternative site near Bhojshala for Friday prayers. The court's latest order clarifies this directive to avoid any ambiguity in the prayer arrangements.

It is worth noting that the Kamal Maula mosque-Bhojshala complex in Dhar has been at the center of a legal dispute for several years. The Hindu party claims it is an ancient temple, while the Muslim party considers it the Kamal Maula mosque. The case is being heard in the Supreme Court after the Madhya Pradesh High Court's verdict, where various legal aspects of the dispute will continue to be heard.