Priyanka Rudrappa / Hindustan Times
Right-wing groups in Karnataka are set to file 108 petitions in the Karnataka high court seeking permission to pray inside the Jamia Masjid at Srirangapatna in Mandya district — a move that comes after they mounted several protests over the demand over the course of this year.
State president of Bajrang Sene, B Manjunath, told HT on Thursday that the petitions are ready and will be filed in the coming days.
“108 is an auspicious number for Hindus, which is why we are filing that many petitions,” he said.
Several right-wing groups, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal, have been claiming that the mosque was built on the ruins of a Hanuman temple and that Hindus have a right to pray within.
The mosque was built around 1782 and is a heritage site maintained by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI).
Right-wing groups have said the district authorities and the state government have not responded to their requests in the past. Meanwhile, the mosque management has appealed to the government to protect it.
Alleging that the district administration and the state government had turned a blind eye to the demands of Hindus, Manjunath said that along with the petitions, photographs and videos showing Hindu structures and the razing down of the temple will be submitted to the court.
“The Jamia Masjid belongs to the archaeological survey department. The government is spending at least ₹10 lakh of the taxpayers’ money for its maintenance. In any such building which belongs to the archeological survey department, outsiders are not allowed to stay. But at least 50 people are staying in the building illegally and madrasas are functioning,” Manjunath said.
He added that those allegedly living inside the mosque were defacing and damaging the structure. “It’s a criminal offence. They are damaging all evidence showing it’s a Hindu property. Our first demand is that those people should be thrown out.”
“Secondly, it’s a Hindu temple. There is enough evidence to prove this. Anyone who looks at the photos and the evidence will agree that it’s a Hindu structure. We will produce all of this to the court,” Manjunath added.
“They haven’t demolished the whole temple. They demolished only the structure on top and constructed a mosque. The rest of the building is intact,” Manjunath said.
In January, Rishi Kumar Swami of the Kali mutt in Chikkamagaluru was arrested for issuing calls to demolish the mosque. He claimed that it was built by 18th Century ruler Tipu Sultan after a Hanuman temple was demolished in 1784.
In the past few months, several Hindu outfits have submitted memorandums to the district authorities seeking a survey of the mosque and asking them to take steps to restore the temple if their claims were found to be true.
“We are confident that if not now, sometime in the future the temple will be returned to Hindus for worship,” Manjunath added.
This article first appeared in hindustantimes.com