Delhi High Court did not listen! What did the Muslim side want to do on the 600 year old broken mosque?
Delhi High Court rejected the petition seeking permission to celebrate Shab-e-Baraat in the 600 year old mosque demolished by DDA. The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed a petition filed by the Managing Committee of Delhi Waqf Board, seeking direction that the local people be allowed to celebrate Shab-e-Baraat on the land where The 600 year old Akhunji Mosque, graveyard and madrasa stood there. On January 30 this year, DDA had demolished the mosque. The managing committee of Delhi Waqf Board filed an application before the court seeking permission for local people to enter the land during the period from 30 minutes before sunset on Sunday, February 25 to 30 minutes after sunrise on Monday, February 26. .
According to a report in ‘Bar and Bench’, Justice Purushindra Kumar Kaurav rejected the petition saying that the court is not inclined to pass any direction at this stage. The High Court said that ‘of course, till now the site in question is in the possession of DDA and this court is attached with the main writ petition, which is to be heard on March 7. At this stage this Court is not inclined to pass any directions under the facts and circumstances of the present case. Therefore the application is rejected.’ Akhunji Masjid and Baharul Uloom Madrasa in Mehrauli were demolished by DDA on the morning of 30 January. Local people claim that the mosque was built about 600-700 years ago during the Delhi Sultanate period.
Delhi Waqf Board and the Management Committee of Delhi Waqf Board face to face
On February 5, after the management committee of Delhi Waqf Board filed a petition in the court, the High Court had ordered to maintain status quo on the land where the mosque was located. When the matter came up for hearing on Friday, lawyer Shams Khawaja appeared on behalf of the managing committee of Delhi Waqf Board and argued that local people have been celebrating Shab-e-Baraat at the mosque for generations. He said that on Shab-e-Baraat they want to show respect to the dead. This application was opposed by the Delhi Development Authority. The Delhi Waqf Board (separate from the Managing Committee of the Delhi Waqf Board) also opposed the petition and said that the petitioners had no rights over the land. The court considered the arguments and rejected the application. It said the main petition would be listed on March 7, which was the earlier date.
