The Allahabad High Court has directed the Archaeological Survey of India to inspect the Shahi Jama Masjid in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal to determine whether it requires whitewashing before Ramzan. In its order, the court used the word “alleged” five times to describe the mosque, after a Hindu petitioner expressed concerns that the court may implicitly recognise it as a mosque.

The order came on a plea by the mosque management committee seeking permission for maintenance work before the Islamic holy month of Ramzan commences on Saturday. The Sambhal police opposed the request for maintenance, arguing that prior approval of the Archaeological Survey was mandatory.

The High Court, however, said: “To balance the equity between the parties, it is important that during the holy month of Ramzan...the communal harmony is maintained.”

On November 24, violence broke out in Sambhal after Muslim groups objected to a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid. A trial court had ordered the survey as part of a lawsuit claiming that the mosque had been built in 1526 by Mughal ruler Babur on the site of a “centuries-old Shri Hari Har Temple dedicated to Lord Kalki”. Five persons were killed in the clashes. Read on.

Ayodhya happened, now Sambhal’s turn’: How a court order sparked a deadly dispute over a mosque

Three Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs in Delhi have proposed renaming the Assembly constituencies of Najafgarh and Mustafabad, as well as changing the name of Mohammadpur village in the capital’s RK Puram area.

Najafgarh MLA Neelam Pahalwan suggested renaming her constituency to Nahargarh, claiming its current name is linked to Mughal rule and that its residents have “faced oppression”. She suggested naming the locality after the ruler Nahar Singh, who brought the area under the control of the Delhi province in 1857. Singh could be truly honoured only if the area was named after him, she said.

RK Puram MLA Anil Sharma pushed to rename Mohammadpur village, located in his constituency, to Madhavpuram. Sharma cited an earlier municipal proposal to rename the village that was allegedly ignored by the Aam Aadmi Party government.

Mohan Singh Bisht, the newly elected Assembly deputy speaker, said that his constituency of Mustafabad would be renamed Shiv Vihar as per an election promise. The BJP, which returned to power in Delhi after 26 years, has argued these changes honour historical figures. Read on.

The Supreme Court has refused to interfere with the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s order allowing the disposal of 40-year-old chemical waste from Bhopal’s defunct Union Carbide factory in Pithampur. The petitioners challenging the order have stated that the matter was not discussed with the Pithampur residents and no clarifications on their safety and security have been issued .

In December 1984, methyl isocyanate and other toxic gases leaked from the pesticide plant of Union Carbide India Limited in Bhopal. Government data suggests that there have been 15,000 deaths as a result of the disaster over the years. Earlier this month, the High Court permitted the state government to conduct trials to incinerate the waste starting Thursday.

Stating that the High Court had constituted a committee of expert bodies to oversee the transportation and disposal of toxic waste, the top court has stated that it does not “find any reason to interfere in the said impugned order”. Read on.

Why a town in MP is resisting the plan to treat toxic waste from Bhopal’s Union Carbide plant

Suspended MLAs from the Aam Aadmi Party were stopped from entering the Delhi Assembly premises on Thursday, alleged leader of Opposition Atishi. She stated that suspension from House proceedings “does not mean you can ban the MLAs from entering the premises of the Delhi Legislative Assembly”.

On Tuesday, 21 out of 22 AAP MLAs, including Delhi’s former Chief Minister Atishi, were suspended from the House for disrupting Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena’s address. Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan was the only AAP legislator who was not suspended as he was absent.

Led by Atishi, the suspended MLAs staged a protest outside Parliament on Thursday. The former chief minister stated that barring legislators from entering Parliament premises was “completely undemocratic and unconstitutional”. Read on.

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