Mon Nov 25 16:14:40 UTC 2024: ## Leftist Outrage Over Mosque Survey Sparks Accusations of Misrepresenting Law

**NEW DELHI** – A court-ordered survey of the Jama Masjid in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, has ignited a firestorm of criticism from leftist and Islamist commentators, who accuse the judiciary of violating the Places of Worship Act of 1991. The controversy highlights a deeper conflict over the interpretation of the Act and the historical claims surrounding several mosques built on sites believed to have been previously Hindu temples.

Prominent figures such as Arfa Khanum Sherwani of The Wire have decried the survey, alleging that it undermines a supposed Supreme Court promise to Muslims following the Ayodhya Ram Mandir verdict. Sherwani, along with Rana Ayyub, blamed former Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud for recent violence in Sambhal, falsely connecting the survey to the deaths of four individuals. Siddarth Varadarajan, founding editor of The Wire, similarly criticized the judiciary.

These commentators allege that the surveys violate the spirit of the 1991 Act, which protected the religious character of places of worship as they stood in 1947, with the exception of the Ayodhya dispute. However, critics argue that they are misrepresenting the law. The Act includes an exception for sites designated as ancient monuments or archaeological sites under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1958, potentially making them exempt from the 1991 Act’s restrictions. Petitioners in the Sambhal case have pointed out that the Jama Masjid was declared a protected monument in 1920, suggesting this exemption might apply.

The controversy also exposes a deeper narrative battle. Leftist commentators have long portrayed Muslims as having “sacrificed” the Babri Masjid for national peace, a claim disputed by critics who highlight the decades-long legal battle and continued claims to the site. The current controversy, critics argue, is part of a broader effort to prevent the examination of historical claims regarding other sites suspected of being built on the ruins of Hindu temples. The ongoing surveys, they contend, are fact-finding missions, not attempts to arbitrarily seize mosques. The fear among Islamist groups appears to be that successful petitions at sites like Sambhal, Gyanvapi, and Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi could set a precedent for challenging the status of many other sites.

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