Reminding that India is a secular country, the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday observed that there should be no discrimination in removing the religious structures of different communities.
The observation was made by Justice S C Sharma of the Indore bench who was hearing a petition filed by Masjid Hanfi Anvarul Uloom Committee.
The Committee urged the High Court to issue a direction to the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) for ensuring that a place of worship is not removed from Kanadiya Road in the city where road widening work was underway.
“Our country is a secular country and there should be no discrimination in removing places of worship coming in the way (of development),” Justice Sharma said.
“Thus such places, to which ever community they belong, should be removed simultaneously in a month’s time,” he added.
The court also directed the police department to provide adequate security staff to the Indore civic body while removing such structures.
The Indore corporation has contended that widening of Kanadiya Road was the need of the hour as large number of accidents were taking place on this stretch which also witnessed heavy traffic congestion.
It informed the high court that the religious structures were coming in the way of road widening. The counsel for the petitioner argued that religious place stood on the land belonging to Wakf and it cannot be removed for widening of the road.
(With PTI inputs)
