MP: Bandh in Dhar over Bhojshala dispute; Hindu groups seek full compliance of court orders
Dhar: Markets and commercial establishments in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar town did not open and will remain closed for half a day on Tuesday following a call by Hindu organisations protesting alleged incomplete implementation of court orders related to the Bhojshala complex.
Police intensified security arrangements across the town amid the tense situation.
The members of Hindu organisations reached markets early in the morning and urged traders to shut their shops until the afternoon. The groups are demanding clearer demarcation of the protected monument’s boundaries by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and an end to arrangements for Friday namaz near the complex.
Similar half-day closures were also reported in nearby areas such as Pithampur and Badnawar.
The controversy centres on the historic Bhojshala complex. In May, the Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court recognised the site as a temple dedicated to Goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati) and granted Hindus the right to worship there 365 days a year.
The court also quashed a 2003 ASI order that had restricted Hindu worship to Tuesdays and permitted Muslim namaz on Fridays. However, the Supreme Court, while refusing to stay the High Court verdict, directed that a suitable open space near the complex (identified as Khasra No. 612) be made available for Friday namaz between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
The apex court also ordered the ASI to maintain status quo at the monument and barred any construction without its permission.
Ashish Goyal, state vice-president of the ‘Hindu Front for Justice’, alleged that the ASI and local administration were not fully implementing the High Court order.
He said the actual boundaries, ownership area and access routes of the protected monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, have not been clearly mapped and displayed.
The Hindu organisations are also unhappy that the proposed “Saraswati Lok” project, announced by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, has not progressed due to the Supreme Court’s directions restricting construction on ASI land.
Police maintained a strong presence to prevent any untoward incident. The district administration has been facilitating separate arrangements for both communities on Fridays as per court directions, with heavy security deployment.
The next hearing in the Supreme Court on the petitions challenging the High Court verdict is scheduled for October 29.
Hindu organisations have indicated that they will continue their agitation until their demands regarding boundaries, access routes and the complete cessation of namaz arrangements linked to the complex are addressed.