The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought a response from the Madhya Pradesh government over a plea filed by the Muslim side in the Bhojshala dispute, challenging the location of an alternate site designated for offering Friday namaz. The court will hear the matter again on Friday after seeking clarification on whether a prayer space closer to the disputed complex can be provided. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana directed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to obtain instructions from the state government regarding the possibility of arranging an alternate prayer site adjacent to the Bhojshala complex in Dhar.
Senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, appearing for the Muslim side, told the court that the alternate location identified by authorities did not comply with the earlier direction requiring a site near the disputed structure. He claimed that the designated area was around 2 km away from Bhojshala and argued that the distance made it difficult for worshippers to offer Friday prayers. "The order was that land should be near the Bhojshala site. The land given for Friday prayer is 2 km away. We have already missed Friday prayers," Ahmadi told the bench.
Representing the Madhya Pradesh government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta disputed the distance cited by the Muslim side and said the alternate site was approximately 900 metres from the disputed complex. He assured the court that he would personally examine the matter and take corrective action if required. "I will personally look into this and rectify it," Mehta told the court. Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed that the earlier Supreme Court order regarding the prayer arrangement must be implemented "in letter and spirit."
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The bench subsequently directed the solicitor general to seek instructions from the state government on the possibility of providing an "adjacent site" for namaz. The matter has been posted for hearing on Friday, when the court is expected to consider the government’s response and the concerns raised by the Muslim side. The Bhojshala complex in Dhar has been at the centre of a long-running religious and legal dispute. The site is claimed by different communities, with Hindu groups associating it with a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, while Muslims have historically offered prayers at the location.
On July 14, while hearing appeals filed by the Muslim side against a Madhya Pradesh High Court judgment related to the disputed complex, the Supreme Court had directed the state government to provide a separate open space near the site for Friday prayers between 1 pm and 3 pm until the final resolution of the case. The Supreme Court’s latest proceedings relate specifically to the implementation of that interim arrangement and do not decide the larger dispute over ownership or religious status of the Bhojshala complex. The court’s directions come as both sides continue legal proceedings over the historic site, with the final outcome of the broader case still pending. The upcoming hearing will determine whether changes are required to the alternate prayer arrangements made by the state government.
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