NEW DELHI: Advocate Mahmood Pracha spoke to The New Indian about the Supreme Courtโs recent order on Sambhalโs Shahi Jama Masjid case. The Court directed the mosque committee to approach the Allahabad High Court and halted the trial court proceedings until the High Court addressed the matter.
How do you view the Supreme Courtโs decision to halt the trial court proceedings and seal the survey report?
โI see it as a damage control exercise because the order came after the damage was already done to the Places of Worship Act,โ said Pracha.
What are the potential implications of the survey on communal harmony in Sambhal?
โCommunal harmony will always prevail if justice, equity, and fair play are upheld at every stage of the democratic process, including in administration and judiciary,โ he stated.
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In your opinion, how does the Places of Worship Act apply to this case?
โThis act applies here as it prohibits any court from deciding matters that alter the status of any religious place,โ he clarified.
What legal avenues are available to the mosque committee following the Supreme Courtโs advice to approach the Allahabad High Court?
โThey should have approached the High Court earlier. Additionally, they should have sought a recall of the trial courtโs order for a survey and filed a contempt case against the trial court for committing contempt,โ Pracha suggested.
How do you think the rapid execution of the survey impacted the local community and the mosqueโs worshippers?
โIt disturbed the peace of society, which had been objecting to these kinds of activities. Such actions carried out with the connivance of government officials, are alarming people across various locations. Examples include Babri and the Gyanvapi Mosque disputes,โ he remarked.
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What measures can be taken to ensure that such disputes are handled sensitively to avoid escalating communal tensions?
โJust follow the law. Donโt break the law. India is a peaceful country, but some people are creating tension through conspiracies. They need to be stopped,โ he emphasized.
Advocate Pracha added that he would not file any plea in this matter, as the mosque committee has already sought legal remedies. However, he expressed his willingness to assist anyone who approached him for help.
