Allahabad HC rejects Hindu side’s plea to declare the Shahi Idgah Mosque as a ‘disputed structure’

Prayagraj: In a key development in the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah mosque dispute in Mathura, the Allahabad High Court has rejected a plea by the Hindu side seeking to designate the Shahi Idgah mosque as a “disputed structure” in official court records and ongoing legal proceedings.

The petition—Application A-44—was filed by Advocate Mahendra Pratap Singh, who represents one of the Hindu petitioners. It requested the court to direct that all references to the “Shahi Idgah Mosque” in the case documents be replaced with the term “disputed structure,” arguing that the mosque stood on encroached temple land. The plea is part of a broader set of 18 petitions filed by Hindu groups seeking the removal of the mosque, which they claim was built over the birthplace of Lord Krishna.

The case is being heard by a single bench of Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court dismissed the application, stating that such a terminology change would be premature and prejudicial while the core issue of ownership remains undecided.

The Muslim side, represented by the Shahi Idgah Committee and the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board, submitted a strong written objection to the petition, arguing that no structure can be labeled as “disputed” unless a court of law has made such a declaration. They also warned that such terminology would unfairly influence public opinion and compromise the neutrality of the legal process.

Justice Mishra upheld the Muslim side’s objection, ruling that there was no legal basis for renaming the mosque in court records at this stage. The petition was thus rejected.

This legal battle is centered on the claim that the Shahi Idgah mosque, located adjacent to the Katra Keshav Dev temple complex in Mathura, was built in the 17th century during the reign of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb over a portion of the original Krishna Janmabhoomi.

The dispute has drawn comparisons to the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case, particularly after the 2020 Supreme Court verdict that granted the disputed land in Ayodhya for the construction of a Ram temple. That ruling has emboldened Hindu groups to pursue similar cases in Mathura and Varanasi.

In May 2022, the Mathura district court had allowed the Hindu side to move forward with a civil suit seeking the removal of the mosque. Since then, several petitions have been filed, including those calling for a court-monitored survey of the mosque premises, similar to the Gyanvapi Mosque case in Varanasi.

While the Allahabad High Court is yet to deliver its verdict on the core issue of land ownership and the mosque’s legal status, the dismissal of Application A-44 is being seen as a procedural victory for the Muslim side.

The court’s latest ruling reinforces the principle that changes in legal terminology and status must be based on final judicial findings and not interim assertions by either party. The case continues to remain one of the most politically and communally sensitive legal battles in Uttar Pradesh, with national implications.