Congress MP and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh on Sunday questioned the high court's Bhojshala verdict, asserting that a monument protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) cannot be classified as a place of worship. He further characterized the court's ruling as vague.
An ASI-protected monument is not a site for worship, Singh stated, referencing a report submitted by the ASI that found no evidence of a temple at the location. The High Court's order is very vague, he added, as quoted by ANI.
The remarks come amid allegations from Bhoj Utsav Samiti member Ashok Kumar Jain, who claimed that restrictions were imposed on Hindu worship during Singh's tenure as chief minister. We used to offer prayers here every Tuesday, but the Congress state government under Digvijay Singh placed restrictions on us, allowing worship only once a year on Basant Panchami while granting Muslims the right to offer Namaz, Jain said, as quoted by ANI.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday ruled that the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex retains its religious character as Bhojshala, describing it as a temple dedicated to Goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati) from the Bhoj-Parmar era. The court also partially quashed the ASI's April 7, 2003 order that had permitted Muslim community members to offer Friday Namaz at the site.
According to ASI counsel Aviral Vikas Khare, the Bhojshala complex will continue to remain under the protection and management of the Archaeological Survey of India. The verdict has sparked debate over the status of ASI-protected monuments and their use as places of worship.
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