Jabalpur, July 16: A group of Muslims have filed a writ petition in the Madhya Pradesh High Court here challenging the order of the Centre and the state government opening the controversial Bhojshala shrine. The 85-page petition contended that a mosque could not be used for any other purpose according to principles and tenets of Islamic law.

"But Union of India and superintending archaeologist along with Madhya Pradesh government arbitrarily and capricously attempted and ostensibly coverted the said mosque into pujaghar and also without the consent and concurrence of the Muslim denomination of Dhar so that with the passage of time the character of the said mosque could be converted to a different desired goal and purpose inconsistent with its long-standing existing character," they said.

Challenging Madhya Pradesh government`s April 7 order, the petition said it was "bad in law to permit Hindu community to a right of access and therefore deserved to be annulled." "The impugned order of April 7 last permitting Hindu community access for holding traditional ceremonies" on the occasion of "Basant Panchmi" every year was "vague and inconsistent," it said.

The petition said that the government order constituted "not only a flagrant violation of the Indian Constitution but also utter transgression of ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains act of 1958 and of places of workship (special provisions) act 1991.

The petition was filed two days back and is yet to be listed for preliminary hearing
Bureau Report