The petitioner committee, led by its President Haji Shakir Dost Mohammad, had filed a plea seeking directions for the DDA and other authorities not to encroach upon the Waqf property, specifically the Shahi Idgah at Motia Khan, Ram Kumar Marg, Sadar Bazar, Delhi. The plea sought to restrain the DDA and MCD from installing any statue or other structures within the Idgah Park.
NEW DELHI: On Wednesday (25th Sept) the Division Bench of the Delhi High Court expressed disapproval of the appeal filed by the Shahi Idgah Management Committee, which contested a prior ruling by a single bench that had dismissed their petition.
The court described the appeal as politically motivated and warned against framing the issue in communal terms, emphasizing the need to keep such matters out of the judiciary to prevent unnecessary communal tensions.
The Division Bench of the Delhi High Court, headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and including Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, stated,
“We are discussing women’s empowerment, and she (Maharani of Jhansi) is a national hero. Do not politicize history in a communal manner. The petitioner is engaging in communal politics.”
The bench further noted that the petition seemed aimed at provoking communal tensions through the court and instructed the petitioner to submit an apology letter. Following these comments, the Senior Counsel representing the petitioner withdrew the petition.
The bench stated, “While there are concerns that installing the statue at the site may lead to a law-and-order situation, the Standing Committee of the MCD has already decided to relocate the statue to the specified site. Therefore, this Court cannot interfere with the MCD’s administrative discretion in carrying out such a resolution.”
Recently, the single bench of the Delhi High Court dismissed the plea against the installation of a statue of Rani Lakshmi Bai in Shahi Idgah ground in Sadar Bazar, stating,
“This Court does not see how their right to offer prayers or perform any religious rites is being endangered in any manner.”
The court also remarked that the status quo order issued by the Delhi Minority Commission was clearly beyond its jurisdiction.
The petitioner committee, led by its President Haji Shakir Dost Mohammad, had filed a plea seeking directions for the DDA and other authorities not to encroach upon the Waqf property, specifically the Shahi Idgah at Motia Khan, Ram Kumar Marg, Sadar Bazar, Delhi. The plea sought to restrain the DDA and MCD from installing any statue or other structures within the Idgah Park.
