The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena-UBT praised the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s ruling recognizing the Bhojshala complex as a temple. They called for restoring the original religious identity of disputed places of worship in the country. Hindu petitioners have claimed that the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi and the Shahi Idgah Mosque in Mathura were constructed over ancient temples.
BJP MP Kamaljeet Sehrawat highlighted the significance of every religious place. She welcomed the court’s decision based on evidence that Raja Bhoj’s property was located at Bhojshala where Goddess Saraswati was worshipped. She stressed the need to restore the initial cultural identity of the place while suggesting a separate space for a mosque.
In response to the court’s suggestion of providing alternative land for a mosque, BJP MP Atul Garg expressed disappointment that such cases have to be resolved in court. He urged communities who converted temples into religious sites to return them to their rightful owners. Bihar Minister Dilip Kumar Jaiswal mentioned the evolving understanding of religious sites based on their original identity.
BJP spokesperson Ajay Alok hailed the decision as historic and called for the Muslim side to accept it in the spirit of harmony. He suggested filing an appeal for the allocation of alternative land for the mosque. Shiv Sena-UBT spokesperson Anand Dubey appreciated the court’s decision, emphasizing the sentiments of Hindu devotees. He drew parallels with the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case and expressed hope for the liberation of the Shri Krishna Janmasthan temple in Mathura.
