LUCKNOW: The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday issued directives to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to carry out whitewash of Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal district of Western UP within a week in accordance with the 1927 agreement between the Mosque Management Committee and the Government of India.
The High Court bench, comprising Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal, directed the ASI to whitening the walls of the mosque wherever required. In the same vein, the High Court also asked the mosque management committee to reimburse ASI the cost incurred on whitewash within a week's time.
After hearing counsels for the parties, Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal also directed the ASI to install lights on the outer portion of the mosque.
Justice Agarwal was hearing the application, mosque management committee had filed last month seeking painting and cleaning of the mosque during the holy month of Ramzan.
On Monday the Bench had directed the counsel appearing for the ASI to come up with specific averments as to what prejudice would painting the outer walls of the mosque cause.
Justice Agarwal expressed dismay at the argument of the ASI counsel Advocate Manoj Kumar Singh on Wednesday that the mosque management committee had been carrying out painting of the mosque for years thus causing damage to its exterior walls.
The court asked the ASI lawyer as to why ASI did not intervene all this long when the mosque management committee was getting it whitewashed leading to the damage of the exterior walls.
Significantly, during the hearing, senior Supreme Court advocate Hari Shankar Jain was asked by the court not to argue for the ASI as he was seeking to refer to his affidavit challenging 1927 agreement between the mosque management committee and the GoI, over the maintenance and upkeep of the monument.
However, the court went on to assure him that his objections would be taken into account during a decision of revision plea.
The Allahabad High Court, on February 28, this year, had ordered the cleaning of Shahi Jama Masjid after the ASI team, which visited the premises, informed the Court that there was no need for a whitewash but a cleaning could be done to remove the dust and growth of vegetation in and around the mosque.
The Court then directed the ASI to survey the mosque and submit its report on February on the basis of which the High Court passed the order.
Earlier, the ASI submitted its inspection report stating that the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal as a whole was in good condition and that there was no urgency of repainting.
On February 25, the Jama Masjid Committee’s lawyer Zaheer Asghar, filed a petition in the Allahabad High Court, seeking permission for the whitewashing and maintenance of the mosque. He stated that the mosque was repainted every year before Ramzan, but this time the administration was not granting permission.
Prior to this, the mosque committee had also written letters to the district magistrate (DM) and ASI regarding the repainting work. However, the DM refused to grant permission, stating that since the mosque fell under ASI’s jurisdiction, all decisions regarding it would be taken solely by ASI.
The Allahabad High Court while hearing the matter, issued directive to ASI to assess the need for whitewashing.
Consequently, a three-member ASI team, comprising joint director Madan Singh Chauhan, director Zulfequar Ali and Vinod Singh Rawat, arrived at the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal to assess the need for whitewashing and decorative arrangements at the Mughal-era mosque ahead of the Ramzan month. The team spent an hour and a half at the site and prepared their report.