Mathura court dismisses plea on Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi

New Delhi: Hours after the Special CBI court verdict acquitting all 32 accused in the Babri Masjid case, including former deputy prime minister LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Kalyan Singh, and Uma Bharti, a civil court in Mathura on Wednesday (September 30) dismissed a civil suit filed to remove the Idgah Mosque alleging it was built over Krishna Janmabhoomi.

The order was passed by Assistant District Judge Chhaya Sharma. The court declined to entertain the plea, citing the bar on admitting the case under the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.

The civil suit moved by Hindu deity, Lord Shri Krishna Virajman, had, through next friends, had sought the removal of encroachments and the mosque.

Last week, a group of people had moved the Mathura court claiming that the 17th century Shahi Idgah mosque was built at the birthplace of Lord Krishna, within the 13-acre premises of the Katra Keshav Dev temple.

The petition was filed in the court of senior Civil Judge Chhaya Sharma, demanding the annulment of a 1968 Mathura court ruling ratifying a land deal reached between the Shri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan and Shahi Idgah Management Committee.

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With the Ram Janmabhoomi dispute in Ayodhya settled, it is now Mathura`s Krishna Janmabhoomi matter is expected to heat up the political circles.

The Akhara Parishad, the largest organization of saints, has voiced its opinion on this issue. Its president Mahant Narendra Giri told IANS that the `Mathura strategy` will be decided in the Akhara Parishad meeting in Vrindavan on October 15 on the issue of Krishna Janmabhoomi.

The Akhara Parishad has stated that it will consist of representatives from all the 13 akharas. In this meeting, along with setting the outline of the movement on the issue of Krishna Janmabhoomi, a deliberation would also be held on the issue of standing party to the petition filed in the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi case.

The chairman of Shahi Masjid Idgah Committee, Zahir Hasan, told IANS, "No case is needed at the moment. Two Ibadagahs are on the higher side. On one side there are mosques and on the other side there are prayers in both the temples from where the people`s voice reaches God simultaneously. We have no scope for fighting here. The agreement was reached in 1968. Then the land was divided among themselves."

"Since then, there are prayers in the temple and five time prayers in the mosque. There is Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb in Mathura. Here `Chunari` of Radhaji is made by Muslim women. It is famous all over the world... we have full faith in the judiciary," he further added.