Bhojshala controversy

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Some background on the issue - Bhoj Shala - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Indore: Violence mars puja, namaz at Bhojshala - daily.bhaskar.com

Dhar: Nearly 100 persons were injured in repeated police cane charges at Bhojshala as mob turned violent in protest against the administration's measures to regulate entries for Hindus and Muslims for offering prayers on Basant Panchami in the controversial religious shrine on Friday. Six of the injured are stated to be critical. Infuriated over police action, mob pelted stones, damaged 26 vehicles and set afire a motorcycle.In retaliation, police lobbed over two dozen teargas shells to quell nearly 50000-strong crowd.

A quick mix of violence, religious drama, administrative cleverness and anxious alertness marked the Basant Panchami celebration at the controversial site where Hindus offered puja and Muslim Namaz but neither community was satisfied with the arrangements.

Sources in the office of chief medical and health officer claimed that the injured were given treatment at different places. Unconfirmed sources said that a youth, son of a grocery shop owner of Bidwal village, succumbed to the head injury sustained during the lathicharge. Administrative and police officers claimed that both Hindu and Muslim communities were allowed to offer prayers at the Bhojshala. However, Shahar qazi Wakarullah Siddique and other Muslim leaders denied having offered Jumma Namaaz, and sought details of the people who did so. IGP Anuradha Shankar said over 50,000 Hindus offered prayers at the Bhojshala and 16 Muslims offered namaaz at adjescent mosque. The devotees got angry when heavily deployed police conducted search of every person entering the premises. The Bhoj Utsav Samiti functionaries objected to the searches and threatened to boycott prayers.

They later acceded to the officials' requests. Situation worsened in the afternoon when the procession of Goddess Saraswati reached the Bhojshala minutes before the administration had declared plan to evacuate the premises for Muslims to offer Namaz. Dhar collector C B Singh later announced that the prayers will go uninterrupted. He made arrangements for Muslims to offer prayer through separate gates.

While a delegation of Muslims was offering Namaz, violence broke out in two places in Dhar - near Bhojshala where people pelted stones at the police and on the MG Road where a place of religious worship was damaged. In both the cases, police lobbed teargas shells and cane charged the crowd to gain control. Even senior Samiti leaders were not spared by the police despite presence of RSS functionaries and people close to BJP.

 

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Muslims allowed to offer prayers at Bhojshala on Basant Panchami

Amid tension in Dhar Bhojshala over puja and Friday namaz offerings on Basant Panchami festival today, Muslims were allowed to offer prayers at the disputed site where police cane-charged and lobbed teargas shells to evict stone-pelting protesters.

Bhojshala complex, which is home to a Saraswati temple and Kamal Maula Mosque, is a protected monument under Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and visited by both Hindus and Muslims on different days. The ownership of the complex has long been a matter of dispute between the two communities.The ASI had allowed Hindus to perform Puja in Bhojshala the whole day today except between 12 pm and 3.30 pm, when Muslims were permitted to offer prayers there.

Under an arrangement, every Tuesday Hindus offer prayers at Bhojshala, while Muslims offer Namaz every Friday. On Basant Panchami, Hindus are allowed to perform puja at the monument the whole day. This year Basant Panchami coincided with Friday prayers leading to a tense situation.

The festival began on a tense note in the town with Bhoj Utsav Samiti initially refusing to go inside Bhojshala, citing heavy police presence in the complex. The Samiti, which organises the festival, relented and a few members of the committee went inside Bhojshala to keep a portrait of Waghdevi (Goddess Saraswati) and perform puja. They were joined by some locals.

Inspector General Anuradha Shankar told reporters that a total of 16 people offered namaz in the complex at the designated time. She described the incident at the site as "minor" and said situation was quickly brought under control.

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Earlier in the week,

Record devotees turn up for puja at Bhojshala - Times Of India

INDORE/MHOW: Amid tension in Dhar Bhojshala over puja and namaz offerings on Basant Panchami that falls on February 15, Friday, around 17,000 Hindus performed puja on Tuesday. This was the highest turnout of devotees on a single day at Bhojshala, barring that on Basant Panchami celebrations in 2006.

Bhojshala, claimed by Hindus and Muslims as place of worship is presently under the custody of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Normally, Hindus are allowed to perform puja on every Tuesday and Basant Panchami while Muslims are allowed to offer namaz on Fridays. However, as Basant Panchami falls on a Friday this year and both the communities not relenting tension is building up.