CPI(M) terms Bhojshala verdict unfortunate

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has expressed grave concern over the Madhya Pradesh High Court judgment regarding the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque dispute, terming the verdict “unfortunate” with dangerous implications for the secular and democratic foundations of the Indian republic. 

In a press statement issued from the CPI(M) Central Committee Office, the party highlighted that by setting aside the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) order that granted Muslims the right to pray at the complex, the High Court has echoed the same legal reasoning used by the Supreme Court in the Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi title suit. The party warned that this ruling is bound to have a significant, cascading bearing on similar historical disputes across the country. 

The Polit Bureau noted that the judgment cannot be viewed in isolation from a growing, troubling trend where historical and religious disputes are increasingly being reopened and adjudicated in manners that risks deepening communal fractures. Critically, the CPI(M) argued that the High Court appeared unwilling to consider the Places of Worship Act, 1991 — a piece of legislation enacted by Parliament specifically to prevent endless communal contestations over religious sites. The party stated that the MP High Court judgment stands in complete contravention of the provisions of this Act.

The CPI(M) asserted that the ruling would only serve to aid communal forces, specifically pointing towards the BJP-RSS combine. The party accused these groups of consistently foregrounding divisive religious issues to divert public attention from the pressing livelihood concerns facing ordinary citizens.

Expressing hope for judicial recourse, the CPI(M) stated it remains optimistic that the Supreme Court, which will be hearing the subsequent appeals against the order, will step in to set aside the High Court judgment.

The party concluded by urging the judiciary to firmly uphold the secular principles enshrined in the Constitution, reinforcing that communalism in all forms constitutes a grave threat to national unity.

The CPI(M) called upon all secular and democratic forces to resist attempts to divide people on religious lines and to instead strengthen struggles centred around livelihood, social justice, and equal rights for all citizens.