New Delhi, April 9: Acting on a PIL the Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Centre, State Government of Rajasthan and Congress MP from Rajasthan Navin Jindal, Chairman of Jindal steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) seeking their responses to the demolition of a 400-year-old mosque in Rajasthan, news portal NitiCentral.com reported on Tuesday.
The 16th century historic mosque was allegedly removed by the Jindal Group of companies for petty commercial purposes, the PIL alleged. Navin Jindal was made an accused in this PIL.
A Bhilwara-based registered society `Panchnaykan’, filed the PIL in the Apex Court, alleging that the ‘Jindal Group not only demolished the Qualandari Mosque but also obtained a mining lease of an area which included a Muslim graveyard and the same was mutated in the name of JSL by the State Government”.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir also issued notices to Ministries of Mines, Environment and Forests, Minority Affairs, and Ministry of Home Affairs along with Rajasthan Government, Jindal Saw Ltd, JSPL, the Wakf Board in Jaipur, and the National Commission for Minorities, the report further said.
A CBI probe was also sought in the matter alleging the Jindal Group had entered into an alleged compromise deed with a few members of the Anjuman Committee for the removal of the mosque for some monetary consideration.
The petition stated, “the said demolition was in violation of section 6 of the Rajasthan Religious Buildings and Places Act, 1954 which provides that no person without obtaining the written consent of the District Collector shall destroy, damage or transfer and public religious building or place. It is submitted that the state administration actively connived in the illegal demolition of the Mosque.”
Ironically, it was the Congress that has been raising a hue and cry over the demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya and accusing the BJP and other Hindutva elements for their alleged involvement in it. The same Congress is now patronizing business tycoon and its MP Navin Jindal for financial considerations.
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