"We have demanded to lift interim stay imposed by SC on implementation of ASI report on Bhojshala temple issue": Petitioner Ashish Goyal

Dhar (Madhya Pradesh) [India], February 17 (ANI): Ahead of hearing in the Supreme Court on the case of Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Mosque complex situated in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district, petitioner Ashish Goyal said that they have demanded to remove an interim stay imposed by the SC on implementation of ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) report.
"Today, the petition filed by the Hindu Front for Justice is to be heard in the Supreme Court. We have demanded that the stay imposed by the Supreme Court on the implementation of ASI survey conducted in Bhojshala should be removed and a religious nature of Bhojshala according to the ASI survey should be implemented," Goyal told ANI.
Talking about the rules and regulations, he further said, "The Places of Worship Act came into effect in 1991 but it is not implemented on the sites preserved by ASI. As we have seen, this Act was not implemented in the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi case in Ayodhya, so we are demanding that it should not be implemented in the Bhojshala complex either."
For Hindus, the Bhojshala Complex is a temple dedicated to Goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati), while for Muslims, it is the site of the Kamal Maula mosque. According to an arrangement made in 2003, Hindus perform puja at the complex on Tuesdays from sunrise to sunset while Muslims offer namaz on Fridays from 1 pm to 3 pm.
On April 1, the top court issued notice on the plea challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Court order directing survey by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at the Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Mosque complex and in the meanwhile it also refused to stay ASI's survey in the disputed sites.
In an interim direction, a bench of justices, Hrishikesh Roy and Prashant Kumar Mishra said no action should be taken without its permission on the outcome of the ASI's survey and clarified that no physical excavation should be taken in disputed sites which will change its character.
ASI began the survey at Bhojshala/Kamal Maula Mosque complex situated in the Dhar district on March 22 following the order of Indore Bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court.
Thereafter, ASI submitted its final survey report of around 2000 pages on disputed Dhar's Bhojshala complex issue before the Indore Bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court on July 15. Following the directives of the apex court, no action was taken on the ASI survey report so far. (ANI)