HC rejects Muslim side’s petition on Mathura temple-mosque dispute

Lucknow: In a significant development, the Hindu side has received a favourable ruling regarding the maintainability of 18 civil suits pending in the Mathura Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute. The court has declared that the civil suits filed by the Hindu side are maintainable.

This decision comes as a setback for the Idgah Committee, which plans to challenge the ruling in the Supreme Court.

Justice Mayank Kumar Jain’s court conducted an extensive hearing on the petitions filed by the Muslim side questioning the maintainability of the civil suits. After a prolonged day-to-day hearing, the decision was reserved in June and pronounced on Thursday. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for August 12.

The civil suits filed by the Hindu side demand the removal of the Shahi Idgah Mosque structure, handing over the land, and rebuilding the temple. The Hindu side claims that the mosque, constructed during the reign of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, was built after allegedly demolishing a temple at Lord Krishna’s birthplace. They assert that Hindus have the right to worship at the disputed site.

The Muslim side, however, contests the legal standing of the litigants, arguing there is no dispute between the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust and the Shahi Idgah Committee. They maintain that those raising the dispute have no relation to either the Janmabhoomi Trust or the Idgah Committee. Additionally, they argue that the Idgah site is Waqf property, established on August 15, 1947, and that the Right to Worship Act prohibits any change to the form of a religious place.