The Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court announced that it will commence regular hearings on the Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Mosque dispute starting from April 6. The division bench, comprising Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla and Justice Alok Awasthi, fixed the hearing schedule due to the unavailability of the hearing on April 2. Notably, the High Court had previously planned to inspect the contested complex in Dhar, setting April 2 for further proceedings.
The Supreme Court’s directive on April 1 stated that the Madhya Pradesh High Court would address objections raised by the Muslim party concerning the ongoing survey of the Bhojshala Temple–Kamal Maula Mosque complex. Emphasizing the importance of adhering to principles of natural justice, the Supreme Court highlighted that objections based on videography evidence must be duly considered by the High Court.
The dispute revolves around Bhojshala, an ancient monument in Dhar under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India, holding religious significance for both Hindus and Muslims. Hindus consider it a temple dedicated to Goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati), while Muslims view it as the Kamal Maula Mosque. To manage conflicting claims, an arrangement dating back to 2003 allows Hindus to conduct pooja on Tuesdays and Muslims to offer Namaz on Fridays.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court, on February 23, instructed all involved parties to present their objections and viewpoints regarding the scientific survey conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India. Subsequently, on March 16, two judges overseeing the case decided to personally visit the disputed site.
