The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday ordered status quo to be maintained at the Bhagya Lakshmi Temple at Charminar.
After hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by MIM Corporator Mohsin Bin Abdullah Balala, the HC bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Justic Vilas V Afzulpurkar directed that the status quo at the temple as on October 30 be maintained. “It is not in dispute that the temple was there for a long time. But, the main grievance of the petitioners is that steps are being taken by the devotees of the temple to expand the said temple by rather touching the pillars of the Charminar by doing scaffolding to erect certain structures thereon,” the HC said.
“Further, we make it clear that since Charminar has already been declared as a historical monument and thereby protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, no construction touching the said monument can be done by any party in any manner whatsoever,” the HC said in its order.
Further, the HC order said that it has recorded the submission of D Prakash Reddy, who appeared on behalf of the Temple committee, that they are not going to expand the Temple in any manner whatsoever either on the roadside and also on the Charminar side in future.
“Accordingly, we direct the status quo as on October 30, 2012 to be maintained as agreed to in the matter and the affidavits are to be filed by the parties within a period of four weeks from today and the matter to be listed after five weeks,” the HC said.
The High Court has also directed the State Government to look into the matter and take action for the implementation of its order.
–Agencies