Additional District Judge-I (ADJ-I) Praful Kamal allowed the Hindu litigants to appeal in a lower court for a survey of the Teele Wali masjid in Lucknow.
TCN Special Correspondent
LUCKNOW (UTTAR PRADESH) – The order passed by a district court allowing Hindu litigants to appeal for the survey of Lucknow’s 16-century Teelewali Wali Masjid is against the direction of Allahabad High Court, said Imam Syed Fazlul Manan Rahmani.
On Thursday, Additional District Judge-I (ADJ-I) Prafulla Kamal held that the civil suit filed by Hindu litigants seeking the survey and possession of the mosque complex is maintainable, rejecting the objections raised by the mosque authorities.
“First of all, this case was filed in the lower court. We lost this case there and went to the session court,” Rahmani, who has been the imam of the mosque for three decades, told TwoCircles.net.
“While the matter was pending in the session court, the opposite party moved to the high court. The high court directed them to go to the lower court. As the matter was pending in the lower court, we again moved to the high court. In the direction of the high court, a survey was conducted in 2013. In the survey, nothing was found as per their claim. If the survey was conducted by the High court, the lower court should not give directions against the high court,” he said.
In 2013, a suit was filed in a lower court on behalf of Lord Sheshnagesth Tileshwar Mahadev Virajman, Laxman Tila Sheshnag Teerth Bhoomi. They claimed that during the reign of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, a Hindu religious structure was demolished to make way for a mosque and demanded that a portion of the Teelewali mosque should be handed over to them.
They also claimed that the Teele Wali Masjid is Laxaman Tila which was converted into a mosque. In May last year, a controversy erupted when Hindu Mahasabha wanted to take out a rally to the mosque and recite ‘Hanuman Chalisa’.
However, noted historians of Lucknow city rejected the claims made by the Hindu party about the mosque. They said that there are no documents and evidence to connect Laxman with Lucknow. There is also no evidence of the fact that the mosque was built in place of Laxman Teela.
“Nowhere in history is there a mention of the name ‘Lakshman Teela’. In fact, the name is not even mentioned in the first Census, carried out by the British government in Oudh. In Lucknow’s 1000-year history, there is no mention of Lakshman Teela,” Roshan Taqui, noted historian who has penned several books on the state capital’s history, was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying.
Rahmani said that nothing has come out as per the claims made by the Hindu party even when the excavations were being made for the expansion and the beautification of the area.
“I think that their claims are just propaganda. These things are aimed at creating division between Hindus and Muslims, damaging the culture of the city, and disturbing peace and law and order. I urged the authorities to take cognizance of such moves and issue orders against such elements,” he said.
The imam raised the question as to how Lord Sheshnagesth can be part of a case. “Man can be a party to any case but how did Lord become a party in this case? This, I don’t understand,” he said.
The Teele Wali mosque is among several religious places belonging to the Muslims across the country which are claimed by Hindus. Earlier, a Varanasi court ordered the survey of Gyanvapi mosque. During the survey, a portion of the mosque, a wuzu khana (ablution place), was seized with the claim that a Shivling was found inside the mosque. However, the mosque committee said that the fountain of the mosque has falsely been termed as ‘Shivling’.
Shahi Idgah mosque, which is situated adjacent to Krishnajanmbhoomi temple in Mathura, is also claimed by Hindus. In December last year, a district court ordered the survey of the mosque.
In 2019, the Supreme Court ordered the building of a temple at the site where the Babri masjid once stood. The Mughal-era mosque was razed to the ground by Hindutva mobs in 1992 claiming that the mosque was built after demolishing the Ram temple.
Concerning Teelewali mosque, Rahmani said that they have complete faith in the judiciary. “We have faith in the constitution and the judiciary. We have not violated any court order or the constitution. The court order is supreme and acceptable to all. We have also accepted the Supreme Court order in the case of Babri mosque,” he said.