Survey of Shahi Idgah Mosque to begin after Jan 2; report sought by Jan 20 : Mathura Court

On Saturday, a district court in Mathura ordered the survey of the Shahi Idgah Mosque said to be built on the "Krishna Janmabhoomi", or the birthplace of Lord Krishna, by the Archaeological Survey of India, after 2 January 2023.

• Civil Judge (third) Sonika Verma passed the order on a petition filed by the president of the Hindu Sena – Vishnu Gupta and vice president Surjit Singh Yadav. The court ordered the 'Amin' (a revenue official) to conduct the survey of the disputed site and submit the report by January 20, when the matter would come for hearing again.

In their petition, Gupta and Yadav asserted that the Shahi Idgah Mosque was built by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb after demolishing a portion of the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi.

• Petitioners claimed ownership over the entire 13.37 acres of land on which they were situated. They have also challenged the 1968 agreement between the Shahi Idgah Mosque Committee and the Shrikrishna Janmabhoomi Trust allowing the Mosque to continue to exist and use the land on which it was situated.

They also requested a videography survey of the disputed site, similar to the one conducted at the Gyanvapi Mosque where a 'Shivling' was found, next to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), which led the Ram Temple movement, had made it clear that the Shrikrishna Janmabhoomi issue would be taken up in 2024 the year the next general elections were scheduled to be held in the country.