Hindu litigant announces 2.5 km padyatra around Sambhal Shahi Jama Masjid site on Nov 19

Sambhal (UP): Mahant Rishi Raj Giri, one of the litigants from the Hindu side in the Shahi Jama Masjid-Harihar Mandir title dispute, announced on Sunday that his organisation, Harihar Sena, will conduct a 2.5-km circumambulation of the "disputed site" on November 19.

No official permission has been sought for the proposed one-day 'Harihar Mandir Padyatra', which is being organised on the first anniversary of the court-ordered survey conducted at the site on November 19 last year, according to Giri.

The Mughal-era mosque has been at the centre of a major row after a petition claimed that it was the site of an ancient Hindu temple. The matters related to the Shahi Jama Masjid–Harihar Mandir title dispute are being heard in the Supreme Court, the Allahabad High Court and the district court. Violence broke out during protests against the survey at the site on November 24 last year, leaving four people dead.

Officials said on Sunday that they have no information about the proposed padyatra by Giri.

Addressing a press conference, Mahant Rishi Raj Giri of Kela Devi temple, who is also the founder of the International Harihar Sena, said the event will start at 10 am and participants will travel by vehicle up to Motinagar.

They will then undertake a 2.5-km foot march around the outer boundary of the disputed complex before returning to Kela Devi temple.

“Our message is simple -- Harihar Mandir was, is and will remain a temple. The matter is before the court and we fully respect the judicial process. We will only perform the circumambulation of the Harihar Mandir precincts,” he said.

Replying to a question about permission from the administration, Giri said that no formal discussion has yet taken place with the administration and called the event a “social, religious and spiritual activity”.

Meanwhile, an FIR has been registered against two members of the management committee of the Shahi Jama Masjid or allegedly misbehaving with Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials and preventing them from entering the main dome during a survey, police said on Sunday.

According to the FIR registered at Sambhal police station, ASI Superintending Archaeologist Vinod Singh Rawat said a team from the ASI’s Meerut Circle had visited the centrally protected mosque in Sambhal on October 8 for an inspection related to conservation work.

During the visit, committee staffer Hafiz allegedly summoned one Mohammad Kasif Khan to the site, and both of them obstructed the ASI team from entering the main dome of the protected monument.

The complaint further alleged that an unidentified person attempted to create a dispute, used objectionable language and tried to disturb the atmosphere, forcing the team to return to Meerut without completing the official work.