Lucknow, In a significant legal development, the appeal lodged by the Muslim community concerning the dispute over the historic Teele Wali Masjid has been dismissed by a court in Uttar Pradesh, a state governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This decision marks a notable setback for the Muslim side in a case that has captured the attention of both communities in the region.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the dismissal came from both the Court of Additional District Sessions and the Court of First Instance in Lucknow, which found the Muslim side’s revision plea challenging the case’s maintainability to be without merit. The Hindu side’s case, which the Muslim petitioners argued was non-maintainable, will now proceed in the lower court, following the upper court’s affirmation of the trial’s legitimacy.
The legal battle centers on the Teele Wali Masjid, situated on a mound known as Lakshman Tila, with Hindu groups claiming rights over the site. The dispute has become emblematic of the broader tensions and historical contests over religious sites in India.
Shishir Chaturvedi, a spokesperson for the Hindutva outfit Hindu Mahasabha, celebrated the court’s ruling as a victory for Hindus, accusing the Muslim community of converting a historical Hindu site into a mosque and thereby infringing upon Hindu rights to worship and ownership at the location. Chaturvedi’s comments reflect the charged atmosphere surrounding this case and others like it, including disputes over other prominent sites such as Mathura, Kashi, the Taj Mahal, and the Qutub Minar, especially in the wake of the Ayodhya verdict.
This latest court decision not only propels the Teele Wali Masjid case back to the lower court for further proceedings but also underscores the ongoing legal and social complexities facing India’s religious heritage sites. As the case progresses, it continues to highlight the challenges of reconciling historical claims with contemporary legal frameworks and communal harmony.