Madhya Pradesh: Dhar Namaz Talks Fail As Muslims Reject Alternate Site

The community members in the locality offered Friday namaz either in their homes or nearby mosques, according to representatives of the community.

Representative of Kamal Maula Welfare Society Abdul Samad Khan said that the alternative namaz site arranged by the local administration at Chalis Pir is around two km from the Bhojshala temple- Kamal Maula complex.

But the supreme court in its recent order had asked the Madhya Pradesh government to arrange an alternative namaz site close to Bhojshala temple- Kamal Maula Mosque complex, he said.

Hence, the selection of the alternative namaz site by the local administration is against the letter and spirit of the supreme court directive, he added.

Meanwhile, the local administration as well as the police held discussions with a delegation of Muslim community in Dhar late on Thursday evening to end the impasse over the alternative site to offer Friday namaz.

The discussion had failed to find a solution to the issue, Mr. Khan said.

The Madhya Pradesh high court in its order a couple of months ago declared Bhojshala temple- Kamal Maula Mosque complex as Vagdevi temple, and allowed the Hindu devotees to perform religious rituals in the shrine routinely, ending the long-standing dispute over the complex following competing claims over it by Hindus and Muslims.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) which protects the ancient historical structure had earlier made an arrangement in which Hindus were allowed to perform puja in the Vagdevi temple inside the complex on every Tuesday while Muslims were permitted to offer namaz at the mosque inside the complex on every Friday.

Following the Madhya Pradesh high court’s order declaring the complex as a Hindu place of worship, the local administration made an alternative site at Chalis Pir for the Muslims to offer Friday namaz.

Meanwhile, the supreme court which had earlier directed the Madhya Pradesh government to select a site close to the Bhojshala complex for the Muslims to offer Friday namaz, on Friday agreed to hear the matter on July 29.

The apex court’s decision came in response to a petition filed complaining that the alternative namaz site chosen by the local administration is far away from the Bhojshala complex.