The Allahabad High Court has dismissed a plea from the Muslim side challenging the lawsuits in the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Eidgah dispute in Mathura. The court’s decision, made by Justice Mayank Kumar Jain, allows the lawsuits to proceed.
The Hindu side’s lawyer, Vishnu Shankar Jain, welcomed the ruling, stating they are prepared for further action if the Muslim side appeals to the Supreme Court. He noted that the court rejected the Muslim side’s argument that the lawsuits should be barred by the Places of Worship Act, 1991. The next hearing is scheduled for August 12.
The lawsuits filed by the Hindu side seek the removal of the Shahi Eidgah mosque, which is located next to the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple. They claim that the mosque, built during the Mughal era, was constructed after demolishing the temple.
The mosque’s management and the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board had argued that the lawsuits were invalid under the Places of Worship Act, which prohibits changing the status of religious places as they were on August 15, 1947.
The Hindu side’s suits also request possession of the Shahi Eidgah mosque’s land, which is part of a 13.37-acre complex shared with the Katra Keshav Dev temple. The court will continue hearing the case on August 12.