Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Dispute | 12 Dec 2024

Why in News? 

A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna is set to hear the case on Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute in Mathura.  

• It is among the oldest temple-mosque conflicts in India, with Hindus seeking to reclaim places of worship they allege were converted into mosques during invasions by Muslim rulers. 

 Key Points 

• Background of the Dispute: 
  • Mathura, considered the birthplace of Lord Krishna, had a temple built in 1618. 
  • The Hindu side alleges that the temple was demolished in 1670 by Mughal ruler Aurangzeb to construct the Shahi Idgah Mosque. 
  • The Hindu side claims the mosque contains Hindu religious symbols and features, including a lotus-shaped pillar and an image of the deity Sheshnag. 
    • Also contends that the mosque was built on a part of the 13.37-acre land belonging to the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust and has filed a suit seeking the mosque’s relocation. 
  • The Shahi Idgah Mosque Committee and the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board argue that the mosque does not stand on disputed land. 
• Key Developments: 
  • Court-Monitored Survey: 
    • On 14^th December 2023, the Allahabad High Court ordered a court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah Mosque. 
    • The court appointed a commissioner to oversee the survey, based on claims that signs of the site’s past as a Hindu temple exist on the mosque premises. 
  • Supreme Court Intervention: 
    • The Committee of Management, Trust Shahi Masjid Idgah, filed a petition challenging the High Court’s order for the survey. 
    • On 16^th January 2024, the Supreme Court stayed the High Court’s order for the survey, citing vagueness in the Hindu side’s application. 
• Arguments: 
  • Hindu Side’s Position: 
    • They demanded that the High Court conduct an original trial, similar to the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi case. 
    • The Hindu side has urged the Supreme Court to allow the High Court to determine the modalities for the commission survey. 
  • Mosque Committee’s Position: 
    • The committee argues that the High Court’s order for a survey is invalid as the suit is barred under the Places of Worship Act, 1991 which prevents changes to the character of religious places as of 15th August 1947. 
    • The committee has also challenged the High Court’s 26^th May 2023, order transferring all dispute-related cases from the Mathura court to itself.