New Delhi: Mathura civil court has rejected the petition seeking to reclaim the Krishna Janmabhoomi  in Mathura by removal of Shahi-Eidgah mosque. The court said that the case lacks enough grounds for a hearing. The court cited the 19991 Places of Worship Act, which preserves the status of religious places as they stood on August 15, 1947. Only Ayodhya Ram Mandir case was placed as an exception in the act.

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After the ruling, the petitioners have decided to move the Allahabad High Court.

It is to be noted that following the historic verdict in Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir case by Supreme Court, where the disputed land was allotted for building temple of Lord Ram, a fresh suit was filed in Mathura civil court to reclaim the entire Krishna Janmabhoomi. The petition had claimed that every inch of the land is sacred for the devotees of Lord Shri Krishna and for the Hindu devotees.

Advocates Hari Shankar and Vishnu Jain had staked a claim on the 13.37 acres of Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi land on the behalf of the plaintiff “Bhagwan Shri Krishna Virajman.” They demanded removal of the Shahi Eidgah mosque that stands adjacent to the temple.

What’s the Krishna Janmabhoomi – Eidgah Row?

Central to the row is the 17th century Shahi Idgah mosque, which the petitioners claim was built at the birthplace of lord Krishna, within the 13-acre premises of the Katra Keshav Dev temple.

Their petition filed in the court of Senior Civil Judge Chhaya Sharma also demanded 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.

However, another body of priests namely Akhil Bharatiya Tirth Purohit Mahasabha had on Sunday condemned the filing of the petition for the removal of the Shahi Idgah mosque, by saying "some outsiders" are trying to disturb the peace in Mathura by raising a frivolous temple-mosque issue.

No dispute after 20th century compromise

As per the president of the body, there is no temple-mosque dispute in Mathura at Srikrishna Janmasthan after a compromise between both the parties in the 20th century, he said. These efforts are just to disturb the harmony of the city said Akhil Bharatiya Tirth Purohit Mahasabha president.

The Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 froze the status of religious places as it existed at the time of Independence. The Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid structure was exempted from the law's purview.