By Omar Rashid
New Delhi: “If any unpleasant incident takes place, the Archaeological Survey of India [ASI] won’t take the responsibility. We will have to take the blame,” said Zafar Ali, the chairperson of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal.
Talking to The Wire, Ali was responding to the ASI’s claims that the managing committee of the mosque had blocked entry to its officials for inspection and distorted the original form of the structure with alterations and interventions. The ASI made these submissions in a report attached to an affidavit it submitted in a civil court in Sambhal in response to a suit filed by some Hindutva activists claiming that the 16th-century mosque was originally the site of a prominent Hindu temple dedicated to the prophesied 10th avatar of Vishnu, Kalki.
A survey of the mosque was hurriedly carried out by a court-appointed advocate commissioner on November 19, less than three hours after the civil judge senior division passed the order. A second round of survey took place on November 24, but that was marred by large-scale violence as five Muslim men were killed and more than two dozen police and administrative officials were allegedly injured in stone-pelting and brick-batting.
In its report, seen by The Wire, the ASI concluded that at present, the “original structure” of the centrally-protected monument has “been distorted” at many places.
Bright and gaudy colours have been used in abundance in the interior parts of the main portion and the appearance of the centrally protected monument has been spoiled to a great extent, the ASI noted in its report that was drafted after a seven-member team of the agency carried out a spot inspection in June.
The ASI, through its Meerut circle, also said that the mosque’s managing committee had carried out various interventions, additions and modifications at the monument. However, since there are “restrictions on ASI team for inspection, the current status and additions carried out are not known to ASI.”
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.
