Thu Nov 28 16:19:02 UTC 2024: ## Supreme Court to Hear Challenge on Mosque Survey that Sparked Deadly Violence
**New Delhi** – The Supreme Court will hear an urgent appeal tomorrow challenging a lower court order that mandated a survey of the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh. The survey triggered violent clashes on November 24th, resulting in four deaths and numerous injuries.
The Masjid Committee, petitioners in the Supreme Court case, seeks an immediate stay on the survey order, arguing the lower court acted with undue haste and bias. They claim the court ordered the survey without hearing from the committee or the state government, and that the rushed process inflamed communal tensions. The petition further contends that similar court orders across the country risk escalating religious conflict and damaging India’s secular fabric.
The lower court’s decision to order the survey stemmed from a petition claiming the mosque was built on the site of a temple dedicated to Kalki. While the Places of Worship Act of 1991 generally protects the status quo of religious sites as of August 15, 1947 (with the exception of Ayodhya), the Supreme Court previously allowed a similar survey at Varanasi’s Gyanvapi Mosque.
The Sambhal violence, and a subsequent court decision to consider a similar claim regarding the Ajmer Dargah, has ignited a major political controversy. Parliament was disrupted today as opposition members protested the Sambhal incident and demanded action against those responsible. Several politicians, including Mehbooba Mufti, criticized the survey orders, arguing they violate the spirit of the Places of Worship Act and risk escalating Hindu-Muslim tensions. Samajwadi Party MP Ziaur Rehman Barq condemned the survey as an attempt to disrupt communal harmony.
Ahead of Friday prayers, Uttar Pradesh Police conducted a flag march in Sambhal as a precautionary measure. The Supreme Court’s decision tomorrow will have significant implications for similar cases across India.
First Piper 