Krishna Janmabhoomi row: UP court orders survey of Shahi Idgah complex in Mathura

Uttar Pradesh: A Mathura court on Saturday ordered an official survey of the Shahi Idgah complex in Mathura. The next date of hearing in the case is January 20, 2023. The district court ordered the Archaeological Survey of India to conduct a survey on the site, said to be built on the birthplace of Lord Krishna, from January 2. It has directed the report to be submitted on January 20.

The court’s order comes on a lawsuit which was filed by Hindu Sena’s Vishnu Gupta. It is one of many lawsuits by Hindu outfits demanding that the Shahi Idgah Mosque be removed from the Katra Keshav Dev temple. They claim that the 17th century mosque was built on Lord Krishna’s birthplace. The mosque was reportedly ordered by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and was built in 1669-70.

Recently, a call was given by Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha to recite Hanuman Chalisa inside the Shahi Idgah to mark Babri Mosque demolition anniversary. It led to the arrest of one leader of the group while at least seven were detained.

Earlier, a civil court in Mathura had dismissed the case saying that it was not admissible under the Places of Worship Act of 1991. The act maintains the religious status of any place of worship as it was on August 15, 1947 with the exception of the Ayodhya temple-mosque case where the 16th century Babri mosque was razed by Hindu in 1992. 

In 2019, the mosque site was handed over to Hindus for a construction of a grand Lord Ram temple while the Muslim side was given alternative land for building a mosque, as per a Supreme Court order.

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