Plea in Delhi Court Seeks Restoration of 27 Hindu & Jain Temples Situated Within Qutub Minar Complex

A civil was filed on behalf of deities Lord Vishnu and Lord Rishabh Dev through their next friend advocates Hari Shankar Jain and Ranjana Agnihotri before a civil court of Delhi. The suit is claiming that the 'Quwwat-Ul-Islam Masjid situated in South Delhi was actually a complex of twenty-seven "lofty" Hindu and Jain temples before they were destroyed in the 12th century by Qutub-ud-din Aibak.  

The Disputed monument is declared as a monument of national importance  

The plea filed through the next friend seeks the restoration of the alleged temple complex, allegedly comprising of as many as 27 temples within the complex and the right to perform puja rituals. Further, the suit asks for the creation of a trust that will monitor the puja, worship and maintenance of the property. 

The most important thing to note in the present matter is that the given monument is declared by the central government as a monument of National importance which is being maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. 

The plea relied upon the Ayodhya verdict

Further, the plea claimed that the monument has been partially demolished and the material from the temples was reused to erect the ‘alleged Mosque’, the walls, pillars and roof of the existing building contain images of Hindu Gods, Goddesses and symbols. It is pertinent to point out that Section 16 of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 allows worship in protected monuments which may be in consonance with the character of the building. 

At last, the suit filled has also relied upon the Supreme Court’s Ayodhya verdict stating that the court through the verdict held that a worshipper has a right to institute a suit to recover the property of an idol.