New Delhi, 19 January (H.S.): In the ongoing Bhojshala dispute in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, the Hindu side filed a fresh petition in the Supreme Court on Monday. It demands barring the Muslim community from offering namaz on upcoming Friday, January 23—Vasant Panchami—and allowing only Hindus to perform worship of Goddess Saraswati.
The plea stems from an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) order dated April 7, 2023, which permits Hindus to conduct puja at Bhojshala on Tuesdays and Vasant Panchami, while Muslims may offer namaz on Fridays between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
However, the order leaves ambiguity: what happens if Vasant Panchami falls on a Friday?Filed through advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, the petition asserts that this Saraswati temple was constructed by Paramara King Bhoj in the 11th century. Court-ordered surveys have confirmed its temple status.
Thus, the ASI order is inherently flawed, but Vasant Panchami specifically demands uninterrupted Hindu rituals—from sankalp and havan through puja, maha aarti, to purnahuti. The sanctum's purity must remain intact, precluding namaz permission that day.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
