The Allahabad High Court has scheduled the next hearing for September 30 in the ongoing Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute in Mathura. The decision came after the Hindu petitioners requested an amendment to their petition.
Justice Mayank Kumar Jain is overseeing 18 consolidated suits related to the temple-mosque dispute. On August 1, the High Court rejected a plea challenging the maintainability of these cases and ruled that the “religious character” of the Shahi Idgah mosque must be determined.
The Muslim side had argued that the cases violated the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act of 1991, which prohibits altering the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947. However, the High Court dismissed this argument, emphasizing that the term “religious character” is not defined in the Act and needs to be determined through evidence.
The dispute centers on the Shahi Idgah mosque, built during the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s reign. The Hindu petitioners claim the mosque was constructed after demolishing a temple at the birthplace of Lord Krishna. The Muslim side, including the management committee of the Shahi Idgah and the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board, opposes this claim on several grounds.
