Badaun mosque protected under Places of Worship Act: ASI

Badaun, June 1 The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has submitted before a court that the 800-year-old Jama Masjid in Badaun is protected under the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act 1991, which mandates places of worship will stay as they stood on August 15, 1947.

The ASI was responding to a petition filed by the Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM) on August 8 last year in a civil court of Badaun, in which they claimed that the mosque 'was built after demolishing an ancient Shiva temple' and that the court should conduct a survey to confirm this.

The district government counsel (civil) Sanjeev Kumar Vaish, on behalf of the ASI and the Centre, filed a reply in the court.

Kumar told reporters: "We have raised four objections and the court will decide whether the case is maintainable."

he court has fixed July 30 as the next date of hearing in the matter.