Mathura, Uttar Pradesh: The Civil Court (Senior Division) in Mathura earlier this month ordered its Amin to inspect the premises of Shahi Idgah Mosque and submit its map by January 20.
The court was hearing a plea which claims that the mosque is built over the birthplace of Lord Krishna and demands that the land be handed over to the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple Authority. Security has been beefed up around both the temple and mosque premises after the court’s order on 8 December.
The court had taken up a case filed by Delhi-based Vishnu Gupta – founder of Hindu Sena, a non-profit for the upliftment of the Hindu community – on the disputed land on which the Shahi Idgah mosque stands, on the same day it passed the inspection. .
Several petitions have been filed by Hindu petitioners over the past two years, claiming that the land for the mosque belongs to the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Mandir Sansthan, the temple management authority. The petitions said that the mosque has been built on the remains of the Lord Krishna temple and a “survey” should be ordered at the Shahi Idgah mosque on the lines of the Gyanvapi mosque.
Tanveer Ahmed, secretary of the Shahi Idgah mosque committee, who is also the lawyer representing the mosque case, said that “there is no dispute over the mosque land” and that he would challenge the court’s order on January 2, when the court would again hear the matter. Will open
Speaking to ThePrint, Ahmed also clarified that the court has ordered an ‘inspection’ and not a ‘survey’.
“The court order is not on the lines of the Gyanvapi Masjid survey. It is a simple inspection where the Amin simply has to go and note down what is inside the mosque premises. It is a publicity stunt by the petitioners to present it as Gyanvapi Masjid survey. Neither do they have any stake on the land of the mosque nor in the temple management committees,” said Ahmed.
Meanwhile, advocate Shailesh Dubey, representing the petitioner, told ThePrint that their case would stand firm in court and they have evidence, including old revenue records, to prove that the land allegedly occupied by the Shahi Idgah mosque Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi belongs to Sansthan.
“We have records which we will present in the court when the time comes. Our demand is that if any encroachment is found on the temple land then it should be demolished and handed over to the temple authorities and no changes should be made in the mosque premises till the matter goes on,” Dubey said.
‘The peace was not disturbed by the order of the court’
Schools are on winter break and business has picked up for local shops selling souvenirs, prayer material, freshly made tea and sweets. Adjacent to the temple, divided only by a boundary wall, is the Shahi Idgah Mosque. The narrow lanes leading to the temple are deserted, in contrast to the hustle and bustle around the temple.
The police guard not only the gate of the mosque, but also the entrances to the streets leading to the mosque. Locals are allowed entry only after showing their Aadhaar cards and the area is off limits to visitors.
While local devotees of the mosque and temple say the court order has not disturbed peace between the two communities, ThePrint told Muslim residents living around the mosque that this may not happen after an inspection is done next month.
“The inspection order is the only issue that people are discussing these days. The local people do not want the status quo to be disturbed. But outsiders are registering cases regarding the land of the mosque in Mathura. It is a political agenda to disturb peace,” said Pappu Khan, who runs a mechanic shop near the mosque.
Sushil Kumar, who has been running a souvenir shop on the temple side for the past 15 years, said the police presence has increased, more so on the mosque side. “There are more policemen and CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) personnel on duty right now. Though there has been no direct conflict between local Hindus and Muslims over the mosque land issue, we (Hindus) know that the land belongs to us,” Kumar said. He said that the court case would ultimately be in favor of the Hindus.
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)