Uttar Pradesh: The Supreme Court directed officials on Monday to remove a mosque from the Allahabad High Court premises within three months, telling petitioners opposing the demolition that the structure stood on a terminated lease property and they couldn’t claim it as a matter of right to continue. The petitioners, Waqf Masjid High Court and UP Sunni Central Waqf Board, had challenged an Allahabad High Court order issued in November 2017 that gave them three months to remove the mosque from the premises.
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On Monday, the Supreme Court dismissed their appeal. However, a bench of Justices MR Shah and CT Ravikumar allowed the petitioners to make a representation to the UP government for the allocation of nearby land for the mosque. It informed the petitioners that the land was a lease property that had expired and that they could not continue as a matter of right. “We also grant the petitioners three months to demolish the construction in question, and if the construction is not removed within three months from today, it will be open for authorities, including the high court, to have them removed or demolished,” the bench said.
2000:An illegal Masjid claimed property of Allahabad High Court.
2004:Allahabad High Court won the case against it before Supreme Court.
2004:Illegal Masjid became Waqf to fight Allahabad High Court.
2023:Allahabad High Court won case against Waqf before Supreme Court.
1/23 pic.twitter.com/c6rkrnupGc
— Shashank Shekhar Jha (@shashank_ssj) March 13, 2023
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the mosque’s management committee, stated that the mosque has been there since the 1950s and cannot simply be asked to leave. “Everything changed in 2017 when the government changed. A PIL is filed 10 days after the formation of the new government. We have no objections to moving to a different location as long as they provide it to us “He stated.
⚡️Supreme Court affirms the order passed by the Allahabad High Court in 2017 for removal of mosque from its premises. Grants 3 months time to the Waqf to remove the mosque.
Waqf Masjid was represented by Kapil Sibal
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) March 13, 2023
The Supreme Court had previously directed the Uttar Pradesh government to investigate the possibility of granting a plot of land to relocate the mosque. The high court informed the Supreme Court that it does not have an alternative plot of land to relocate the mosque and that the state may consider relocating it elsewhere. It had also stated that there was already a parking shortage. The Supreme Court had previously directed the parties to reach an agreement on the location of the mosque.
