As the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya nears completion, a fight is on in the Allahabad High Court over a minaret of an 18th century mosque “encroaching” on the proposed Ram Path, a road leading to the temple.
The matter will be heard by the Lucknow bench of the high court on Monday (July 24).
A minaret of Khajoor ki Masjid in Gudri Bazaar in the heart of Faizabad city is said to be encroaching on the proposed Ram Path by three metres.
In a tweet on Thursday, Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi alleged that “illegal attempts” are being made to demolish the minaret of the mosque for the widening of the Ram Path.
“The mosque committee has filed a petition in the high court. Trying to forcibly demolish the minaret is condemnable. UP CM should follow the law and respect this historical mosque of the Shia community,” he tweeted.
The mosque committee has prayed before the high court for the protection of the historical mosque via a writ petition on March 1 this year.
The high court issued a notice to the Ayodhya district magistrate the next day.
Talking to PTI, Ayodhya District Magistrate Nitish Kumar said, “We have submitted our reply in the court. Thirteen other mosques falling on the way of Ram Path have been removed peacefully. We are going with the alignment of the road finalised by the government. The mosque committee had initially given its consent (for the demolition of minaret) but it later approached the court.”
On April 21, the Ayodhya district administration filed its response before the court.
The mosque is said to have been built in 1750 by a Nawab of Awadh.