Even before the Supreme Court refused to re-look at the judgement in the 1994 Ismail Faruqui case where it is stated that “a mosque is not an essential part of the practice of the religion of Islam”, the Maharashtra and Central governments had begun to question the significance of the Fire Temple to Parsis.
Mid-Day reported that lawyers representing the Maharashtra and Central governments lawyers questioned the importance of the holy structures for the Parsi community during a hearing in the Bombay High Court. Ashutosh Kumbhakoni, appearing for the state government, said the documents provided by petitioners of Parsi community were not enough to establish the fact that the fire temples Wadia ji and Anjuman Atash Behrams were integral to the Zoroastrian religion.
The construction of the Metro III line in South Mumbai has the Parsis up in arms as the underground tunnel is going to pass under Jagannath Sunkersett Road, on which two fire temples- Wadiaji Atash Behram and Anjuman Atash Behram, are located. The former was consecrated in 1830 and the latter in 1897. The two fire temples of Parsi community are feared to be disturbed by this tunneling work.
The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation's (MMRC) Metro III project is completely underground and will connect Colaba in south Mumbai to Bandra and Santacruz Electronics Export Processing Zone (SEEPZ) in the western suburbs of the city.
In the latest development, this case, which has reached the Bombay High Court, saw harsh arguments from the government representatives on the day both sides were meant to reach an amicable solution.
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The Maharashtra government lawyers questioned the importance of the holy structures for the Parsi community. Ashutosh Kumbhakoni, appearing for the state government, said the documents provided by petitioners of Parsi community were not enough to establish the fact that the Wadia ji and Anjuman Atash Behrams were integral to the Zoroastrian religion
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