Plea for praying in Qutub Minar adjourned for Aug 24

New Delhi, June 9 A Delhi Court after hearing argument on a plea seeking permission to worship the deities in Qutub Minar adjourned the same again for further hearing on August, 24 by saying a fresh impleadment application has been filed in the case.
Jain deity Tirthankar Rishabh Dev and Hindu God filed a petition before Delhi Saket Court by citing a short history by submitting how 27 temples were demolished by Qutubdin Aibak, a general in Mohamad Ghori’s army and the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque was raised by reusing the material.
Petitioners submitted to Court that Qutub Minar premises has clear pictures of Hindu Gods and deities like Shri Ganesh, Vishnu and Yaksha and several symbols like kalash and sacred lotus, along with temple wells, which suggest a Hindu origin of the building, so issue an injunction to the Centre to create a trust and hand over management of the temple complex to it and allow worship the deities.
Counsel for Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) opposed the plea by submitting that there is no provision under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act under which worship can be started at a monument. He further submitted that apprehensions of the appellant were misplaced as the agency was not contemplating any removal or shifting of the idols as of now because shifting of the idols would involve various permissions from different agencies.
Counsel for ASI submitted that Qutub Minar is not a place of worship and alteration of the existing structure is not permissible and no community has worshipped at Qutub Minar or any of its parts since the time it has been a protected monument even as there are a number of structures within the complex.
Additional Session Judge Dinesh Kumar after hearing that a new application has been filed on behalf of Kunwar Mahender Dhwaj Prasad Singh ordered the status quo in the matter till further orders and adjourned the matter for further hearing on August, 24. The court said that parties of the case may file the reply of the fresh application.