New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday scheduled a hearing for April 8 to consider an application filed by the mosque committee. The application challenges a March 5 order of the Allahabad High Court, which had permitted the impleadment of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Union of India in the main suits concerning the Krishna Janmabhoomi–Shahi Eidgah dispute.

The bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan stated that the application, along with other pending pleas, would be heard on April 8.

On March 5, the Allahabad High Court allowed other parties to amend their applications to include the ASI and the Centre as parties to the main suits. The mosque committee opposed this and has approached the Supreme Court to challenge the decision.

This is not the first time the mosque committee has contested a High Court ruling. It had earlier challenged the court's decision to uphold the maintainability of suits filed by Hindu worshippers and the deity, which seek the removal of the mosque.

On January 16, 2024, the Supreme Court stayed the operation of an earlier Allahabad High Court order dated December 14, 2023. That order had allowed a court-monitored survey of the Shahi Eidgah mosque complex in Mathura, adjacent to the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple.

The High Court had also agreed to appoint a court commissioner to oversee the survey. The Supreme Court’s stay came in response to a plea by the mosque committee.

What is the core of the dispute?
The Shahi Eidgah mosque is adjacent to the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura. Hindu litigants claim the mosque was built on the orders of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb after demolishing a temple believed to mark the birthplace of Lord Krishna.

The civil suit, filed on behalf of the deity Bhagwan Shri Krishna Virajman, alleges that the mosque occupies part of the 13.37-acre land belonging to the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust.

How many suits have been filed?
A total of 18 suits have been filed seeking the removal of the Shahi Eidgah mosque from what is claimed to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna. The legal proceedings are ongoing.