A Local MLA, who allegedly aided construction of a mosque on the government land, today moved to the Delhi High Court to restrain the ASI against taking any ‘coercive’ action against the existing structure, including its demolition.
Petitioner MLA Shoaib Iqbal has said a committee comprising eminent citizens should be constituted to oversee the works of ASI so that it does not demolish the remains of Mughal-era Akbarbadi mosque existed there .
The HC had earlier allowed the ASI to demolish the illegal constructions carried on by Mr Iqbal and his supporters on the disputed site which were coming in way to find out the truth whether the remains of the Mughal-era mosque existed there. Mr Iqbal had led the group of people earlier and started construction of a mosque on the government land where a metro project at Subash Park near Jama Masjid Central Delhi was going, claiming that a mosque of Akbar Era existed there. The application, is likely to come up for hearing on August 17 before a three judge-bench of Acting Chief Justice A K Sikri, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Rajive Shakdhar. Mr Iqbal, who is also facing contempt notice for allegedly raising the structure in the park, has also suggested the names of former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Rajender Sachar, Jamia Milia Islamia’s Vice Chancellor Najib Jung and ASI former Director K K Mohammad as members of the expert committee to see that the ASI does not demolish any ancient precious structure.
The MLA’s Lawyer MM Kashyap cited excerpts from various history books to drive home the point that there was Akbarabadi Mosque built in 1650 by Mughal emperor Shahjahan’s wife at the site, which was later razed by the Britishers. Mr Kashyap urged the court that ASI should be directed to ensure that the historicity of the movement and the religious sanctity attached to this mosque gets no harm whatsoever and the historic remains of the mosque are intact there. The HC had earlier taken suo-motu cognisance after a lawyer Mr Aman Lekhi apprised the court that communal tension had begun at the site near the masjid as Iqbal had instigated the crowd and built an illegal structure there. Mr Iqbal had earlier denied that he was instrumental in building an illegal structure at the site but today filed a fresh petition saying that ASI should be restrained from demolishing the structure. A Hindu group had also claimed that a temple existed there and tension had mounted in the area. The HC had directed the police to cordone off the area and later allowed the ASI to raze the illegal structure to find out the historical facts about the site. UNI