Delhi court rejects plea to restore deities in Qutub Minar complex

Referring to the judgment in the Ayodhya land dispute case, a Delhi court has rejected a civil suit seeking restoration of Hindu and Jain deities and the right to worship within the Qutub Minar complex saying that past wrongs cannot be the basis for disturbing the peace in the present and the future.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Jain deity Tirthankar Lord Rishabh Dev and Hindu deity Lord Vishnu, claimed that 27 temples were partly demolished by Qutub-ud-dinAibak, a general in the army of Mohamad Ghori, and the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque was raised inside the complex by reusing the material.

Rejecting the suit, Civil Judge Neha Sharma said, “India had a culturally rich history. It has been ruled over by numerous dynasties. During arguments, the counsel for the plaintiff has vehemently argued on the point of national shame. However, nobody has denied that wrongs were committed in the past, but such wrongs cannot be the basis for disturbing the peace of our present and future.”

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

The lawsuit, filed by advocate Vishnu S. Jain, further sought the issuance of a mandatory injunction directing the Central government to create a trust, according to the Trust Act 1882, and to hand over the administration of the temple complex situated within the area of the Qutub complex.

The court, however, said that the plaintiff’s argument that worshippers have the right to exercise their religion conferred by Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution of India and have the right to ensure that deities are restored at their original place with due dignity is “devoid of merit.”