Jamia Masjid Controversy: Bajrang Dal submits PIL to Karnataka HC

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Nov 17 2022 10:54 AM
P C Thomas

Jamia Masjid Controversy: Bajrang Dal submits PIL to Karnataka HC

BANGALORE: Jamia Mosque Controversyin Karnataka has come to the light with Bajarang Dal submitting a Public Interest Litigation in the High Court demanding to vacate it. The Litigation claimed that there is proof that the mosque was once a Hindu temple.

"The Jamia Mosque in the historic Srirangapatna town in the Mandya district contains remnants of Hindu deities and temple architecture. Hence, the mosque should be closed right now, and Hindu devotees should be permitted to bathe in the Kalyani (traditional water feature) on the mosque's property "said the petition.

Further demands from Bajrang Dal activists include a resurvey of the mosque along the lines of the Gyanwapi Masjid. Manjunath, the state president of the Bajrang Dal, filed the PIL on Wednesday. 108 Hanuman enthusiasts, including Manjunath, have petitioned.

The number 108 is considered auspicious in Hindu tradition and therefore, 108 devotees have become parties, Bajrang Dal sources said.

The Mysore Gazetteer, Hindu mosque architecture, Hindu idol inscriptions, a sacred water body, and references from British officers are other pieces of evidence that the Bajrang Dal militants have presented to the court.
Hindutva organisations had previously asked the government for permission to hold prayers in the mosque. The subject had gained a lot of attention throughout the state.

The Jamia mosque's administrators had already requested protection for the building from Hindu demonstrators on many occasions.

Masjid-i-Ala, commonly known as Jamia Masjid, is situated inside the Srirangapatna fort. During Tipu's reign, in 1786–1787, it was constructed. Three inscriptions in the mosque list nine different names of the Prophet Muhammad.
In their presentations to the authorities for a study of the mosque, Narendra Modi Vichar Manch stated their strong conviction, supported by documentation, that the Jamia Masjid was constructed following the destruction of the Hanuman Temple.