Hindus denied nod to pray at Vidisha's Bijamandal; collector cites ASI's 'mosque' notification
Vidisha, Aug 8: The Vidisha district administration in Madhya Pradesh has cited an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) notification and refused to open the 11th century Bijamandal to allow Hindus to offer prayers on Nagpanchmi, which will be celebrated on Friday.
A group of Hindus had submitted a memorandum to Collector Buddhesh Kumar Vaidya to open the site in the heart of the city on Nagpanchami, when snakes are worshipped.
In turn, the collector forwarded their plea to ASI, which, on August 2, cited a gazette notification of 1951 and stated Bijamandal was not a temple but a mosque.
Collector Vaidya told PTI the ASI is the custodian of the structure so he had forwarded the memorandum to allow it to take a call on the matter.
Expressing disappointment, Shubham Verma, leader of the Hindu group that submitted the memorandum, told PTI, "We have been worshipping there (outside the structure) on Nagpanchami for the last 30 years but no one had said it was a mosque and not a temple."
The sentiments of Hindus have been hurt with the ASI's description of it as a mosque, said Verma showing the collector's letter along with the ASI's gazette notification.
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Remarks against St Francis Xavier: Right-wing speaker Gautam Khattar gets bail
Panaji (PTI): A court in Goa on Saturday granted bail to right-wing speaker Gautam Khattar, who was arrested after he allegedly made derogatory comments against St Francis Xavier.
Judicial Magistrate First Class, Vasco, granted regular bail to Khattar, currently admitted to Goa Medical College and Hospital at Bambolim for treatment of chest pain after he was shifted from the District Hospital in Mapusa two days back.
A row erupted after a video of remarks by Khattar, the founder of Sanatan Mahasangh, at an event on April 18 in the presence of Swami Brahmeshanand, State Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho and BJP MLAs Sankulp Amonkar and Daji (Krishna) Salkar, went viral.
St Francis Xavier is revered as the patron saint of Goa.
The controversial remarks led to the Vasco Police registering an FIR against Khattar on charges of hurting religious sentiments and creating enmity between groups.
He was detained in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, by local police. His custody was later handed over to the Goa Crime Branch, according to officials.
