The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Saturday expressed "grave concern" over the Madhya Pradesh High Court's recent judgement declaring the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque as a temple.
Terming the verdict "unfortunate," the CPI(M), in a statement issued by its Politburo, warned that it could have implications for the secular fabric of the country.
The Left party argued that the judgment cannot be viewed in isolation from the growing trend of historical and religious disputes increasingly being reopened and adjudicated in ways that risk deepening communal divisions.
The CPI(M) also contended that the ruling appeared to overlook the provisions of the Places of Worship Act, 1991, which was enacted to preserve the religious character of places of worship as they existed at the time of Independence and to prevent fresh communal disputes.
The party stated that the high court verdict was "in complete contravention" of the law and would only strengthen "communal forces like the BJP-RSS combine," which 'foreground divisive religious issues while diverting attention' from economic and social concerns.
The party said it hoped that the Supreme Court, which is expected to hear appeals in the matter, would set aside the judgement.
Calling communalism a "grave threat to national unity and democratic life," the CPI(M) urged the judiciary to "uphold secular constitutional principles" and appealed to secular and democratic forces to resist attempts to divide people along religious lines.
In its ruling on Friday, the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court held that the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque is a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati.
It also quashed the April 7, 2003, order of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which allowed Muslims to pray in the premises every Friday.
(With inputs from PTI)