In the meantime, legal developments continue around the case. The Muslim and Jain parties are said to be preparing to challenge the May 15 Madhya Pradesh High Court order, while the Hindu Front for Justice (HFJ), the lead Hindu petitioner in the case before the MPHC, has filed a caveat in the Supreme Court demanding that no adverse order be passed without hearing their side.
On Friday, the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, comprising Justices VK Shukla and Alok Awasthi, ruled that the disputed complex is a Saraswati temple of Hindus, thus granting the right to worship there and partially voiding the earlier agreement that allowed Muslims to offer prayers every Friday.
Since April 2003, according to an order of the Archaeological Survey of India, Muslims had offered prayers every Friday, while Hindus were allowed to worship every Tuesday and on Basant Panchami at the site.
The court also noted that the state government may consider allotting land in Dhar district to Muslims for construction of a mosque, while the Center may consider representations to bring back the idol of Maa Vagdevi (Saraswati) from a museum in London and reinstall it at Bhojshala in Dhar district.
Welcoming the decision, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said, “The directive to the central government to consider returning the idol of Maa Vagdevi from UK to India is laudable. The state government will also make necessary efforts in this regard. Bhojshala’s dignity will be further enhanced under the protection and management of ASI’s rights.”
