SC declines to restore status quo ante at Bhojshala in Madhya Pradesh

New Delhi, July 14
The Supreme Court today agreed to hear the Bhojshala dispute on a day-to-day basis to resolve the issue. However, the bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana declined the petitioners’ request for an interim order restoring the status quo ante, under which Muslims were permitted to offer namaz on Fridays alongside Hindu worship on designated days.

The bench directed the state to make available a separate open space, adjacent to the subject site, for offering namaz on Fridays between 1 PM and 3 PM. The bench clarified that this arrangement is ad-hoc in nature, subject to the final outcome of the matter.

The bench urged both sides to exercise patience, describing the matter as highly sensitive. The top court was hearing a batch of appeals challenging a Madhya Pradesh High Court order, which said the disputed Bhojshala complex in Dhar district was a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati and prohibited the offering of Namaz there.