NEW DELHI: In the state of Maharashtra, controlled by India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), authorities have closed an 800-year-old mosque for Muslim worshippers after a complaint was lodged by a Hindu group linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), reported The Wire on Saturday.
The mosque, located in Jalgaon, has abruptly become inaccessible to the Muslim community following an interim restraining order issued by the district collector in response to the right-wing organization’s complaint. The order also directed police deployment in the area and placed the mosque under the temporary control of the tehsildar, describing it as “disputed.”
The centuries-old structure is an important place of worship in northern Maharashtra and is registered under the Waqf Board, which manages and administers Muslim properties.
While the collector’s order and his authority to issue it have been challenged before the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court, The Wire reported that Aslam (one name), a member of the Jumma Masjid Trust, expressed concerns that this unprecedented order could mark the beginning of the communalization of the historic mosque in the state.
The controversy surrounding the mosque emerged due to a complaint filed by an unregistered organization called the “Pandavwada Sangharsh Samiti.” The complainant, Prasad Madhusudan Dandawate, a reported member of RSS and Bajrang Dal, claimed that the mosque was constructed on a Hindu place of worship and demanded state authorities take control of the property. Dandawate further alleged that the Jumma Masjid Trust had encroached upon the space unlawfully.
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Members of the Jumma Masjid Trust stated that they were unaware of the claims until they received a notice in June. They had limited time to prepare a defense as the collector had already conducted hearings, leading to the issuance of the restraining order on July 11.
The Waqf Board and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) were also served notices alongside the mosque’s trust committee. The Archaeological Survey of India supported the trust’s claims, affirming the mosque’s status as an ancient structure where prayers have been offered since the Archaeological Survey of India’s involvement in 1986. The Archaeological Survey of India further emphasized that the mosque has historically been an open and accessible space for Muslims.
Moin Tahsildar, the CEO of the Waqf Board, criticized the collector’s decision, stating that it exceeded his mandate and infringed upon the legal jurisdiction of the Waqf tribunal. “We have challenged the interim order,” Tahsildar added.
Meanwhile, the Masjid Trust has approached the high court with pre-independence documents, including court orders from various periods and those issued by the British Indian government, in an effort to defend the mosque’s historical and religious significance.
