‘Find way for relocation of Alld HC complex mosque’

NEW DELHI: The SC on Monday asked the UP government to explore the possibility of granting a piece of land to relocate an illegal mosque situated inside the Allahabad high court complex. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud asked the counsel for UP government to obtain instructions on the relocation of the mosque to “solve the problem”.

NEWDELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to explore the possibility of granting a piece of land to relocate an illegal mosque situated inside the Allahabad high court complex.

A bench of chief justice Dipak Misra and justice A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud asked the counsel for the Uttar Pradesh government to obtain instructions on the relocation of the mosque to “solve the problem”.

The court was hearing the Waqf Board’s plea challenging the November 8, 2017, order of the Allahabad high court which gave it three months to move the mosque out of the premises.

Additional advocate general Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for Uttar Pradesh government, said that the administration would try to find out an alternative piece of land for relocation and if that cannot be done, it will apprise the court of the reasons on July 3, the next date of hearing.

On April 2, the Allahabad high court had told the apex court that it does not have an alternative plot of land for relocating a mosque situated on the premises and the state government may consider shifting it to another land. The top court had then sought the view of the Uttar Pradesh government and asked the Sunni Central Waqf Board to serve the copy on the counsel for the state government.

The Allahabad high court had said that as far as high court is concerned, there is no alternative land for relocating the mosque. It had said there is already shortage of space for parking of advocates’ vehicles and there was no alternative land where the mosque can be shifted.

The Waqf Board had contended that the structure had been there for several decades and it can’t be just asked to move out.