SC assigns adjacent site for Friday prayers amid Dhar Bhojshala dispute

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Madhya Pradesh government to make necessary arrangements for members of the Muslim community to offer Friday prayers at a plot adjacent to the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque complex in Dhar.

Clarifying its previous interim order, a Bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana ruled that Friday namaz be permitted at the newly designated site between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Examining the site plan presented during the hearing, the CJI-led Bench noted that the land—identified as dargah land— adjoins the disputed complex and features an independent access road, making it suitable for religious gatherings. The apex court also clarified that this arrangement does not prevent both parties from mutually agreeing on an alternative location if they choose to do so.

The order follows an application filed by the Muslim side, which alleged that local authorities had failed to comply with the court's earlier mandate to provide an adjacent or nearby space. Senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, representing the petitioners, argued that the district administration had instead designated a plot roughly 1.3 km away, where the mosque and dargah were not even visible. He noted that adjacent Waqf land was passed over by officials citing law-and-order concerns, and urged the court to allow prayers near the complex.

Addressing the state's position, Additional Solicitor General K.M. Nataraj stated that the Madhya Pradesh government was primarily focused on maintaining public order rather than taking sides in competing religious claims. However, after reviewing the site map, the top court formally identified a highlighted plot on the plan for the temporary arrangement, questioning why an adjacent site with separate entry and exit routes could not be used.

The top court had previously declined to stay a Madhya Pradesh High Court ruling that declared the complex a Hindu temple, but instituted an interim arrangement to allow Friday prayers nearby without prejudicing the final outcome of the case. The apex court also ordered that no structural changes be made to the protected monument by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) without its prior approval.

The long-standing legal battle stems from the High Court's May 15 judgment, which quashed a previous administrative agreement that allowed Muslims to pray inside the monument on Fridays. While Hindus maintain that the ASI-protected site is an ancient temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, the Muslim side asserts that the complex includes the historical Kamal Maula Mosque. The main appeals regarding the religious character of the site remain pending before the Supreme Court.

(Inputs from IANS)