Aligarh's Jama Masjid built on site of ancient temples, claims RTI activist; files petition

NEW DELHI: An RTI activist filed a petition in a civil court on Wednesday claiming that Aligarh's Jama Masjid was built upon Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu temples and urged the court to declare it "illegal".
"I have been filing queries with several government departments regarding the origins of Jama Masjid, which, according to historical records, was constructed in the early 18th century," Pandit Keshav Dev Gautam said.
The claim stems from responses received to queries filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act with multiple government departments, including the Aligarh Municipal Corporation.
Gautam said that an RTI response from the Aligarh Municipal Corporation revealed that the mosque was "constructed on public land without government approval." Based on this information, he filed the petition in court seeking to declare the current Jama Masjid management committee "illegal."
He has also sought the takeover of the land from mosque by the government. The case is set to be heard on February 15.
This come even as the Supreme Court in December ruled that no new lawsuits challenging the religious character of structures could be filed until it made a decision on the validity of the Places of Worship Act, 1991. It had prohibited all courts from issuing any interim or final orders, including directives for surveys, in ongoing cases concerning existing religious structures.
Meanwhile, the Allahabad high court, hearing a similar dispute, halted further proceedings in a civil court hearing the dispute over the Jama Masjid in Sambhal. It has directed the respondents to submit their reply within four weeks and scheduled the matter for hearing on February 25.