Sambhal/UP: The Sambhal district administration said that no decoration work could be done on the Sambhal Shahi Jama Masjid without the Archeological Survey of India’s permission. Sambhal district magistrate Rajender Pensiya said that the mosque's case is sub judice, and no work can be allowed on the structure without ASI’s approval since it belongs to the body, The Times of India reported.
The mosque management had requested ASI permission to redecorate the mosque ahead of Ramzan. They wanted to repaint, clean, and decorate the mosque before the holy festival.
Magistrate Pensiya questioned the need to decorate the mosque when a dispute on it is before the courts.
However, the mosque committee said that the mosque has been cleaned and painted before Ramzan annually for centuries, and it is a tradition. This has been done without the involvement of ASI all these years, but this year, they decided to seek the agency's approval.
The mosque, a Mughal-era structure, gained attention after violence broke out during a survey ordered by a local court. The survey followed a petition claiming that a Harihar temple once stood there.