Sambhal mosque whitewashing: SC turns down petition against Allahabad HC order

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a petition challenging the Allahabad High Court’s order to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to whitewash the Mughal-era Jama Masjid in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal district that Hindus claimed was built on the pre-existing ancient ‘Harihar Temple’.

"We are not inclined to entertain the present petition... Dismissed," a Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna told advocate Barun Sinha who represented appellant Satish Kumar Aggarwal.

In its March 12 order, the high court had asked the ASI to undertake and complete the whitewashing of the mosque within a week.

However, Sinha contended that the high court wrongly ordered the ASI to whitewash the walls of the mosque.

"The ASI shall undertake the whitewashing work and complete the same within a period of one week from today. Further, no extra lighting shall be put on the walls, as it may cause damage to the monuments, but exterior lights in the shape of focus lights/LED lights may be used by the ASI for lighting of the outer area of the alleged Masjid. The expenditure incurred in the whitewashing shall be borne by the Masjid Committee, and the same shall be reimbursed within one week after the completion of whitewashing work," Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal of the Allahabad High Court had said.

Earlier, the high court had directed the ASI counsel to make specific averments as to what prejudice would whitewashing of the outer walls of the mosque cause. A court-ordered survey of the mosque had led to violence at Sambhal in November last year in which four people were killed.