New Delhi, 24 July

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear on 29 July a plea of the Muslim side alleging that the alternative site identified by the Madhya Pradesh government for offering namaz was located too far from the disputed Bhojshala complex in Dhar.

The Muslim side is seeking a place near the Bhojshala complex for offering Friday prayers.

On July 22, a bench headed by Chief justice Surya Kant had assured listing of the plea on Friday. However, the matter was mentioned by senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi at the fag end of the hearing as it was not shown in the cause list.

The senior advocate alleged that the state government authorities are "allocating a site adjacent or near the place. Two Fridays prayers already missed. The (allocated) site is 1.3 km away".

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state government, opposed the submissions, saying, "It is 900 metres away."

"We don't have helicopters... by road it is 1.3 km. There is an attempt to always not follow orders of this court," Ahmadi said.

The solicitor general replied by saying, "I cannot be swayed away by emotions."

The CJI said that the interim plea will be listed for hearing on Wednesday that is July 29.

Earlier, Mehta had said that he will persuade the administration to identify a nearer spot.

"I have asked them to identify a nearby site, and the process is going on," the law officer had said when the bench asked him to obtain instructions on the possibility of providing an alternative prayer site adjacent to the disputed complex.

On July 14, the bench, while taking up appeals filed by the Muslim side against the Madhya Pradesh High Court's judgment declaring the disputed Bhojshala complex a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, had directed the state government to provide a separate open space adjacent to the disputed site for offering Friday namaz between 1 pm and 3 pm until the matter is finally decided.