7th plea made to Mathura court for removal of mosque near Lord Krishna birthplace

PTI, Sep 26, 2021, 8:19 PM IST

Yet another plea has been made to a Mathura court for the removal of the 17th century Shahi Masjid Idgah from near the Katra Keshav Deo temple complex, considered the birthplace of Lord Shri Krishna.

This seventh plea was filed on Friday in the court of Mathura’s senior civil judge.

The fresh suit was filed by Gopal Giri Maharaj, a disciple of the late Digambar Naga Baba alias Parmanand Giri Maharaj on behalf of the Thakur Keshav Dev Maharaj Virajman of the Katra Keshav Dev Temple in Mathura.

Like earlier pleas, this plea too has demanded the removal of the mosque allegedly built on orders of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1669-70 in the 13.37-acre premises of Katra Keshav Dev Temple.

It has also demanded the annulment of a 1967 court ruling, ratifying a land deal between the Shree Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan and the Shahi Idgah Management Committee, ceding the land rights to the mosque near the temple.

Like earlier pleas, this plea has also made heads of the UP Sunni Central Wakf Board, Lucknow, Shahi Idgah Masjid’s Intazamia Committee, Mathura, Shree Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan, and Srikrishna Janmabhumi Trust of Mathura as respondents.

The court has slated October 25 to take up the hearing on this plea.