Right-wing outfit seeks survey of Bhopal's Jama Masjid

Bhopal, May 31

Right-wing outfit Sanskriti Bachao Manch (SBM) has sent a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah demanding an archaeological survey of the Jama Masjid in Bhopal, claiming that the mosque was built on the premises of a Lord Shiva temple.

Talking to mediapersons on Monday, SBM chief Chandrashekhar Tiwari said: "We have high hopes that the Prime Minister and the Home Minister will take cognisance of our request."

Nearly two weeks ago, Tiwari, along with some other SBM members, had met Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra. During the meeting, the group had handed over a memorandum demanding a survey of Jama Masjid.

The right-wing outfit raised the demand for a survey on the basis of facts collected from a book -- 'Hayate-I-Qudsi' (written by Bhopal's first woman ruler Nawab Qudisa Begam) -- which mentions (as the group claims), "Work on building Bhopal's Jama Masjid began in 1832 and was completed in 1857."

It also mentioned that the mosque was built on the same land where a Hindu temple known as 'Sabha Mandap' already existed, SBM claimed