SC directs Centre, MP to comply with order at namaz site near Bhojshala complex ‘in letter and spirit’

On 14 July, the Supreme Court refrained from restoring the status quo ante after the Madhya Pradesh High Court declared the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque complex to be a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati and banned Friday namaz at the site. | Photo credit: ANI

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (July 22, 2026) directed the Union and Madhya Pradesh governments to comply “in letter and spirit” with its July 14 order asking the authorities to designate a separate open space near the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque complex where members of the Muslim community could offer Friday namaz between 1 pm and 3 pm as an interim measure. The direction came after the court was informed that the site identified by the administration was nearly two kilometers away.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohan said the authorities are bound to fully implement its earlier directions. The matter was brought before the court again on Friday to review its compliance.

The matter was raised before the bench by senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, who appeared for the Muslim petitioners, who said that the place designated by the authorities for offering Friday namaz was nearly 2 km from the disputed complex. “They have earmarked a site two kilometers from the site,” Ahmadi told the court.

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However, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Center and the Madhya Pradesh government, pointed out that the designated area for offering namaz was about 900m from the disputed spot. He also informed the bench which he had already handed over to the authorities to identify an alternative site.

“I have spoken to the authorities and it is 900m away. But I am in talks with them and have asked them to identify an alternative site,” Mr Mehta said.

However, Justice Bhagchi reminded the lawyer that the term used in the preliminary injunction was “adjacent place”. “The last time we used the term ‘contiguous place’…,” the judge said.

The lawyer assured the court that he had already spoken to the authorities and that the matter would be resolved soon. “The order will be taken care of. I have already spoken to the authorities there,” he added.

However, the bench made it clear that there could be no deviation from its earlier directions. “The order must be obeyed in letter and spirit,” it said as it agreed to list the matter on Friday.

The dispute concerns the Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Mosque complex in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district, where Hindu and Muslim communities have long held competing religious claims.

On 14 July, the apex court refrained from restoring the status quo ante after the Madhya Pradesh High Court declared the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque complex to be a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati and banned Friday namaz at the site. The court reasoned that it did not want to “create tension” on a “very sensitive” issue.

The bench further barred the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) from allowing any structural changes to the disputed structure without the high court’s prior permission. The court issued a formal notice to the state of Madhya Pradesh and the Union government.

“We will not pass any order which creates tension. We are ready to hear the case any day and resolve the issue. We request both parties to be patient. It is only a matter of few days,” Chief Justice Kant assured the Muslim appellants.

On May 15, the Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled that the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque complex in Dhar district was a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati. At the same time, it revoked a decades-old ASI order that allowed the Muslim community to hold Friday prayers at the site. The High Court also said that the Center and the ASI can decide on the administration and management of the Bhojshala complex.

The Hindu community considers Bhojshala to be a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, while the Muslim side calls the 11th-century monument the Kamal Maula Mosque. The disputed complex is protected by ASI.

Published – 22 Jul 2026 13:10 IST