People of Dhar Lok Sabha seat of Dhar, Madhya Pradesh are divided on what impact the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Masjid controversy will have on the elections, with one section believing that it will benefit one party while the other on employment etc. Such factors are claimed. Will take center stage.
Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Masjid is a medieval era monument which Hindus claim is a temple of Goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati), while Muslims say it is a centuries-old mosque.
On March 11 this year, the Madhya Pradesh High Court had directed the Archaeological Survey of India to conduct a scientific survey of the structure, which has been underway since March 22.
According to the ASI order issued on April 7, 2003, Hindus are allowed to worship inside the Bhojshala complex every Tuesday, while Muslims are allowed to offer namaz at the site on Fridays.
The scientific survey was ordered after an organization called 'Hindu Front for Justice' challenged the arrangement in the Indore bench of MP HC.Voting for Dhar Lok Sabha seat reserved for Scheduled Tribes will be held on May 13, while the counting of votes will take place on June 4.
Local resident Anju Mittal said on Saturday, "For us, Bhojshala is not an election issue, but an issue related to our culture. We want a peaceful solution to the Bhojshala dispute like the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid issue in Ayodhya."
Azhar Khan, another resident of Dhar, also claimed that the issue would not play any role in the elections, saying he wanted the focus to be on the development of the area.
Khan stressed, “We want brotherhood to remain in our city.,
However, shopkeeper Nuru Qureshi disagreed with Mittal and Khan and said that the issue would be a deciding factor in the Lok Sabha elections and would give advantage to one party.
Qureshi, who says he has a 'Master of Social Work' degree, said migrants from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and some other states are taking jobs in units of Dhar's Pithampura industrial area, while the youth of the area are unemployed. .
Archana Bansal, whose family runs the business, said the proposed railway projects in Dhar would be a key election issue as they would boost development in the state's tribal belt.
He said, "Bhojshala controversy is also an important election issue. It will affect the electoral equation.,
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has held the seat since 2014, while the Congress won it in 2009 and several times in the 1980s and 90s.
ASI's application seeking extension of 8 weeks to complete the survey of the structure will be heard on April 29.
Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Masjid is a medieval era monument which Hindus claim is a temple of Goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati), while Muslims say it is a centuries-old mosque.
On March 11 this year, the Madhya Pradesh High Court had directed the Archaeological Survey of India to conduct a scientific survey of the structure, which has been underway since March 22.
According to the ASI order issued on April 7, 2003, Hindus are allowed to worship inside the Bhojshala complex every Tuesday, while Muslims are allowed to offer namaz at the site on Fridays.
The scientific survey was ordered after an organization called 'Hindu Front for Justice' challenged the arrangement in the Indore bench of MP HC.Voting for Dhar Lok Sabha seat reserved for Scheduled Tribes will be held on May 13, while the counting of votes will take place on June 4.
Local resident Anju Mittal said on Saturday, "For us, Bhojshala is not an election issue, but an issue related to our culture. We want a peaceful solution to the Bhojshala dispute like the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid issue in Ayodhya."
Azhar Khan, another resident of Dhar, also claimed that the issue would not play any role in the elections, saying he wanted the focus to be on the development of the area.
Khan stressed, “We want brotherhood to remain in our city.,
However, shopkeeper Nuru Qureshi disagreed with Mittal and Khan and said that the issue would be a deciding factor in the Lok Sabha elections and would give advantage to one party.
Qureshi, who says he has a 'Master of Social Work' degree, said migrants from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and some other states are taking jobs in units of Dhar's Pithampura industrial area, while the youth of the area are unemployed. .
Archana Bansal, whose family runs the business, said the proposed railway projects in Dhar would be a key election issue as they would boost development in the state's tribal belt.
He said, "Bhojshala controversy is also an important election issue. It will affect the electoral equation.,
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has held the seat since 2014, while the Congress won it in 2009 and several times in the 1980s and 90s.
ASI's application seeking extension of 8 weeks to complete the survey of the structure will be heard on April 29.
