Plea in Delhi court seeks right to worship inside Qutub Minar

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A lawsuit has been filed in a Delhi court seeking restoration of Hindu and Jain deities and the right to worship within, what the petitioners claimed was temple complex situated inside the Qutub Minar complex at Mehrauli.

The matter came up for hearing on Tuesday before Civil Judge Neha Sharma who fixed the next date of hearing on December 24.

The suit has been filed on behalf of Jain deity Tirthankar Lord Rishabh Dev and Hindu deity Lord Vishnu through next friend advocate Hari Shankar Jain and advocate Ranjana Agnihotri respectively.

The lawsuit claimed that short history displayed by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) narrated that 27 temples were demolished and reusing the materials of the construction of Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque was raised inside the complex.

The suit, filed by advocate Vishnu S Jain, sought declaration that  principal deity Tirthankar Lord Rishabh Dev and principal deity Lord Vishnu, along with Lord Ganesh, Lord Shiva, Goddess Gauri, God Sun, Lord Hanuman including presiding deities of 27 temples, have right to be restored and worshiped with rites and rituals, performance of regular pooja within the alleged temple complex situated in the area.

It further sought issuance of mandatory injunction directing the Central Government to create a trust, according to Trust Act 1882, and to hand over the management and administration of the temple complex situated within the area of Qutub Complex.

“Decree be passed in the nature of mandatory injunction, directing the Trust, to be created by the Central Government, to manage the affairs of 27 Hindu and Jain temples with Iron Pillar, in accordance with the scheme of administration framed by the Central Government, situated within the area of Qutub Complex.

“Decree be passed in the nature of permanent injunction, restraining the defendants (Centre and ASI) permanently from interfering in making necessary repair works, raising construction and making arrangements for ''pooja'', ''darshan'' and worship of deities…,” the suit said.

It claimed that there existed huge and lofty Hindu and Jain temples of Lord Vishnu and Lord Rishabh Dev as presiding deities along with Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesh, God Sun and Goddess Gauri and Jain Tirthankars along with constellations, within the precincts of Qutub Minar.

It further alleged that the temple was partly demolished by Qutubdin Aibak, a general in the Army of Mohamad Gauri.