News Analysis India

Tag: Jama Masjid

  • Now, Hindu outfit demands archaeological survey of Bhopal’s Jama Masjid, rakes up temple theory

    By Express News Service

    BHOPAL: While Gyanwapi Mosque case in Varanasi continues to hog headlines, a similar issue seems brewing over 700 kms away in the Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal. 

    A local right wing Hindu outfit Sanskriti Bachao Manch, while claiming that the Jama Masjid located in old Bhopal’s Chowk Bazar locality was built in the 19th century on a Shiva Temple, has sought from the state government, a detailed archaeological survey of the mosque.

    The outfit’s head Chandrashekhar Tiwari met the state’s home minister Narottam Mishra in Bhopal on Thursday and submitted a memorandum, demanding detailed survey of the Jama Masjid.

    Tiwari is also preparing to file a petition in the local court in Bhopal over the issue in the coming days.

    “We’ve submitted a memorandum to the home minister in Bhopal on Thursday, demanding detailed archaeological survey of the Jama Masjid. Next we’ll petition the court in Bhopal, seeking survey and excavation in the Mosque to bare the history of the mosque having been built over a Temple called Sabha Mandap,” Tiwari told The New Indian Express on Thursday.

    “What has been stated by us in the memorandum to the home minister and what will be mentioned in the petition in the coming are not based on any fanciful thinking, but actually is based on facts mentioned in the Hayate-I-Qudsi (book on Bhopal’s first woman ruler Nawab Qudsia Begum),” he said.

    The woman ruler (1819-1832) built the Jama Masjid and Gohar Mahal Palace in Bhopal. 

    In the book on her life, “It has been mentioned that the work on building the Jama Masjid in Bhopal started in 1832 and entire mosque was built in 1857. It has also been clearly mentioned in that very book that the mosque was built on the same land where a Hindu Temple known as Sabha Mandap had already existed.

    “We hope that the state government helps us and every Hindu in knowing the actual truth about Bhopal’s Jama Masjid having been built on the ruins of the Hindu temple,” Tiwari said.

    Importantly, before Tiwari took up the issue on Thursday, the same issue with similar demand was raised on social media by another right wing Hindu outfit, Hindu Dharma Sena.

    Yogesh Agrawal, the Jabalpur based state president of the Hindu Dharma Sena, had raised the issue of the Jama Masjid in Bhopal, having been built on the ruins of a Shiva Temple called Sabha Mandap.

    Agrawal is the same saffron brigade leader, who few weeks back, had demanded ban on entry of non-Hindus on river Narmada ghats in Jabalpur.

    Meanwhile, the ruling BJP’s state spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi said the Hindu outfit’s demand, if supported with concrete evidence, needs to be discussed at the highest level.

  • Lucknow’s Jama Masjid provides oxygen cylinders to COVID patients

    By PTI
    LUCKNOW: The Jama Masjid in the Lalbagh area here has come forward to provide oxygen cylinders and concentrators to COVID-19 patients free of cost.

    Half of the equipment have been reserved for non-Muslims.

    Seeing the hardships faced by patients, the mosque committee took the decision, said Zunnoon Nomani Nomani, chief of the panel.

    Nomani said, “Any needy person can come to the mosque, show his Aadhaar card and some other documents and take an oxygen cylinder or concentrator free of cost.

    Fifty per cent of the oxygen cylinders and concentrators have been reserved for non-Muslims.

    If needed, more help can be provided.” Nomani said initially they had only three to four oxygen cylinders.

    Now, after the contribution of people, they have 50 oxygen cylinders and 25 concentrators, he said.

    Nomani said whenever any person comes to donate money, he is requested to pay the amount to the seller of the equipment and send the bill via WhatsApp to the Masjid Committee.

    Members of the committee collect the equipment from the seller by showing the bill, he said.

  • Religious leaders call for protests over Waseem Rizvi’s SC plea to remove 26 Quranic verses

    By Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: A petition by Wasim Rizvi, former chief of Shia Waqf Board, in the Supreme Court seeking removal of 26 verses from the Quran has angered millions of Muslims from both Shia and Sunni sects. The prominent clerics have given the call to Muslims to gather at Jama Masjid in Delhi on March 19 for a protest against Rizvi.

    Besides holding a massive protest against Rizvi in Lucknow, many prominent Shia and Sunni clerics have demanded his immediate arrest.

    Rizvi, who had moved SC on Saturday had alleged in his petition that there were 26 verses in Holy Quran which promoted terrorism and Jihad among Muslim youth pushing them on the path of insurgency across the world. This evoked a strong reaction from the Muslim clerics. One of the Muslim clerics had even announced a bounty of Rs 20,000 for anyone who brings Rizvi’s head.

    ALSO READ | BJP leader Rizvi’s PIL angers Hyderabad Muslims

    Renowned Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawad, who also led a protest against Waseem Rizvi, said, “Waseem Rizvi is an enemy of Islam and Quran and a social boycott of him is declared. He is also being declared a terrorist.” Sunni clerics were also part of the protest along with Maulana Kalbe Jawad. More than a dozen Shia and Sunni clerics led the protest against the former chairman of the Shia Waqf Board.

    “A joint protest rally would be organised by both Shia and Sunni communities on March 19 after the prayers at the Jama Masjid in Delhi and against the anti-national forces against Wasim Rizvi. We will also demand from the Centre and the Supreme Court to arrest Rizvi as soon as possible for promoting terrorism and spreading unrest. It will also be demanded from the Supreme Court to dismiss the petition of Wasim Rizvi and to impose a heavy fine on him,” said Shia cleric Kalbe Jawad at the protest rally.

    Maulana Kalbe Jawad appealed to people to reach Jama Masjid in Delhi on March 19 and participate in the protest. Clerics accused Rizvi of spreading chaos, and terrorism, and stealing Waqf properties.

    “This time he has attacked the sanctity of Quran and is talking about removing verses from it. A Muslim can never make this demand. That is why the government should arrest him immediately and punish him severely. If he is not arrested, then we will assume that the government is also in his support,” said clerics.

    Meanwhile, a video of Rizvi’s brother surfaced online in which he can be heard saying that the family members have nothing to do with what he has said and that he has lost his mental balance.