Hindu Mahasabha seeks dismissal of MLA's mosque plea

Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha on Thursday sought from the High Court the dismissal of local MLA Shoaib Iqbal’s plea that the Archaeological Survey of India be restrained from razing a mosque, built illegally at the government land here. 

“The contents of MLA’s plea are misconceived, distorted and twisted. Its nothing but an attempt by intervener Iqbal to frustrate and delay compliance of the July 30 order passed by the high court,” said ABHM in its reply to Iqbal’s plea.

The ABHM reply was filed by its vice president S S Sai Baba Om Jee. 

Earlier order

Accused of aiding illegal construction of a mosque at a Metro railway project site near Subhash Park in Central Delhi, Iqbal had earlier filed an application for court’s direction to the ASI against demolishing the structure.

And for forming a committee of eminent persons to assist the ASI in ascertaining if the remains of a Mughal-era mosque existed at the site.

A three-judge bench headed by acting Chief Justice A K Sikri is likely to hear the case on Friday. 

The court had earlier allowed the ASI to demolish the illegal construction to ascertain whether remains of the Mughal-era Akbarabadi mosque existed there.

To delay the order

It had also asked police and other agencies to help the ASI in its work. ABHM, in its replies to fresh pleas of Iqbal, said they wanted to “frustrate” the execution of court’s earlier order.

Besides the MLA, police too had sought more time from the court for helping the ASI raze the structure as there was lack of requisite force due to “massive deployment of police to maintain peace during the Independence Day, Baba Ramdev’s protest and Ramzan”.

MLA Iqbal, also facing contempt notices for allegedly raising the structure with help of his supporters, had suggested the name of former Chief Justice of Delhi HC Rajender Sachar, Jamia Milia Islamia’s vice chancellor Najib Jung and ASI former director K K Mohammad as members of the expert committee to help the ASI reach a just finding.