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It has been claimed that an idol of Lord Krishna is buried beneath the stairs of Begum Sahiba Masjid in Agra
The Allahabad High Court on Monday granted the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) until August 12 to file reply to an application for a survey of the Begum Sahiba Masjid near the Agra Red Fort's Deewan-e-Khas.
In the ongoing Shahi Idgah Masjid-Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi dispute in Mathura, a lawsuit claims that Mughal emperor Aurangzeb buried "jewel-studded idols" from Mathura's Keshav Dev temple under the staircase of the Agra mosque after allegedly destroying the temple. The plaintiff, Mahendra Kumar Singh, has called for an ASI survey of the mosque and an investigation by an Advocate Commissioner.
Initially, this plea was part of 18 pleas clubbed together for hearing by the high court. However, due to the issue of this petition (suit number three) being different, the high court separated it from the others.
Recently, the Committee of Management Shahi Masjid Idgah submitted an application to be included as a party in this case, which the plaintiffs have opposed.
On Monday, the the bench of Justice Mayank Kumar Jain also granted the plaintiffs until August 12 to file their objections to this application.
Plaintiff Mahendra Pratap Singh asserts that in 1670, the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb demolished the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi temple and buried the gold-studded idol of Lord Krishna under the Agra mosque's stairs to undermine Hindu faith. Singh's prayer is that the idol be excavated and reinstalled at the original temple site in Mathura.
Singh, who heads the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Mukti Nyas, refers to various historical texts, including Sakhi Mustaq Khan's "Masre Alamgiri," FS Grous's "Mathura Memoir," "Mathura Gazetteer," and "Aurangzeb Nama," to substantiate his claim that the idol was buried by Aurangzeb in 1670.
Case Title: Thakur Keshav Dev Ji, Maharaj Virajman Mandir Katra Keshavdev And 2 Others V. Union Of India And 3 Others
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