The%20court%20battle%20for%20Krishna%20Janmbhoomi%20in%20Mathura%20took%20a%20twist%20on%20Wednesday%20when%20the%20%u2018pandas%u2019%20%28priests%29%20of%20the%20ancient%20town%20moved%20an%20intervening%20application%20seeking%20no%20change%20in%20the%20status%20quo.

Opposing%20the%20earlier%20move%20by%20a%20Lucknow-based%20advocate%20Ranjana%20Agnihotri%2C%20who%20sought%20restoration%20of%20the%20entire%2013.37%20acre%20land%20of%20the%20Krishna%20Janmbhoomi%20to%20Hindus%20after%20removal%20of%20the%20mosque%20and%20%u2018Idgah%u2019%20that%20stands%20on%20that%20plot%20of%20land%2C%20the%20%u2018pandas%u2019%20sought%20to%20plead%20that%20they%20did%20not%20want%20to%20disturb%20the%20peace%20and%20tranquility%20of%20the%20sacred%20town.

Significantly%2C%20taking%20the%20cue%20from%20the%20Ayodhya%20case%2C%20where%20%u201CRam%20Lalla%20Virajman%u201D%20%28the%20deity%20of%20Lord%20Ram%29%20was%20recognised%20as%20a%20legal%20entity%2C%20Agnihotri%20had%20moved%20her%20application%20together%20with%20four%20others%20in%20the%20name%20of%20%u201CSri%20Krishna%20Virajman%u201D%20%28the%20installed%20deity%20of%20Lord%20Krishna%29.

%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20Read%20%7C%20%3C/strong%3E%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/with-fight-over-ayodhyas-ram-temple-now-over-has-the-focus-now-shifted-to-mathura%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EWith%20fight%20over%20Ayodhya%27s%20Ram%20temple%20now%20over%2C%20has%20the%20focus%20now%20shifted%20to%20Mathura%3F%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

Also%2C%20precisely%20on%20the%20same%20lines%20as%20in%20the%20Ayodhya%20case%2C%20in%20which%20Hindus%20claimed%20Babri%20Masjid%20at%20the%20site%20of%20the%20birthplace%20of%20Lord%20Ram%2C%20the%20petitioners%20contended%20that%20Lord%20Krishna%20was%20born%20exactly%20where%20the%20mosque%20stands%20today.%20As%20such%2C%20their%20main%20demand%20was%20%u201Crestoration%u201D%20of%20the%20entire%2013.37%20acres%20of%20land%20in%20and%20around%20the%20shrine.%20They%20also%20want%20annulment%20of%20a%20settlement%20arrived%20at%20in%201968%20between%20the%20Krishna%20Janmbhoomi%20temple%20governing%20body%20and%20the%20mosque%20management%20committee%20to%20coexist%20in%20harmony.

Agnihotri%20and%20her%20co-petitioners%20were%20leaving%20no%20stone%20unturned%20in%20citing%20similarities%20between%20Mathura%20and%20Ayodhya.%20Quite%20akin%20to%20Ayodhya%2C%20where%20Hindus%20alleged%20destruction%20of%20the%20original%20Ram%20temple%20by%20Mughal%20emperor%20Babur%u2019s%20army%20commander%20Mir%20Baqi%2C%20Agnihotri%20has%20contended%20that%20the%20Krishna%20temple%20at%20his%20birthplace%20was%20desecrated%20by%20Aurangzeb%2C%20the%20last%20of%20the%20Mughals.

However%2C%20the%20Mathura-based%20Akhil%20Bhartiya%20Teerth%20Purohit%20Mahasabha%20and%20the%20Mathur-Chaturvedi%20Parishad%20have%20openly%20opposed%20Agnihotri%u2019s%20move%20on%20the%20plea%20that%20any%20change%20in%20the%20status%20quo%20could%20complicate%20things%20for%20the%20local%20people%20and%20more%20particularly%20for%20the%20%u2018panda%u2019%20community%2C%20whose%20livelihood%20depends%20entirely%20on%20the%20smooth%20flow%20of%20devotees.

%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20read%3A%20%3C/strong%3E%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/in-pics-pm-modi-performs-bhoomi-pujan-of-the-ram-temple-in-ayodhya%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20Pics%3A%20PM%20Modi%20performs%20Bhoomi%20Pujan%20of%20the%20Ram%20Temple%20in%20Ayodhya%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

Purohit%20Mahasabha%20president%20Mahesh%20Pathak%20has%20stated%20in%20his%20application%20that%20they%20were%20not%20in%20favour%20of%20raising%20any%20dispute%20over%20the%20Krishna%20Janmbhoomi%20.%20%u201CMandir%20and%20Masjid%20have%20been%20in%20peaceful%20co-existence%20in%20Mathura%20for%20years%20and%20none%20of%20us%20wish%20to%20disturb%20the%20peace%20and%20harmony%20of%20this%20sacred%20Braj%20region%2C%u201D%20he%20said.

According%20to%20him%2C%20%u201Conly%20outsiders%20were%20trying%20to%20rake%20up%20issues%20that%20would%20vitiate%20the%20atmosphere.%u201D

Pathak%20also%20sought%20to%20point%20out%20that%20Ayodhya%20and%20Mathura%20were%20not%20comparable%20.%20%22It%20would%20be%20incorrect%20to%20give%20Krishna%20Janmbhoomi%20that%20same%20colour%20as%20Ayodhya%2C%u201D%20he%20said%2C%20adding%2C%20%u201Cin%20Ayodhya%2C%20Ram%20Lalla%20remained%20under%20a%20temporary%20and%20make-shift%20structure%20%3B%20on%20the%20contrary%2C%20in%20Mathura%2C%20we%20have%20a%20grand%20temple%20devoted%20to%20Lord%20Krishna.%u201D

Referring%20to%20an%20agreement%20arrived%20at%20between%20local%20Hindus%20and%20Muslims%2C%20he%20sought%20to%20point%20out%2C%20%u201Ca%20formal%20agreement%20for%20peaceful%20co-existence%20of%20a%20temple%20and%20mosque%2C%20duly%20ratified%20by%20the%20government%20has%20been%20in%20place%20since%201968.%u201D

Petitioner%20lawyer%20Ranjana%20Agnihotri%2C%20on%20the%20other%20hand%2C%20had%20claimed%20similarity%20between%20Ayodhya%20and%20Mathura%20on%20the%20plea%20that%20the%20mosque%20stood%20exactly%20at%20the%20spot%20where%20Lord%20Krishna%20was%20born.%20Taking%20a%20cue%20from%20the%20judgement%20of%20the%20Supreme%20Court%20in%20the%20Ayodhya%20case%2C%20where%20the%20entire%20Babri%20Mosque%20land%20has%20been%20entrusted%20to%20Ram%20Lalla%20Virajman%20%28the%20deity%20of%20Lord%20Ram%29%2C%20she%20has%20sought%20restoration%20of%20the%20entire%20land%20to%20the%20deity%20of%20Lord%20Krishna.

%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20Read%20%7C%20%3C/strong%3E%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/babri-masjid-verdict-exonerates-bjp-biggies-what-it-means-for-pm-modi%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EBabri%20verdict%20another%20feather%20in%20PM%20Modi%u2019s%20cap%3F%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

Her%20initial%20plea%20before%20the%20Mathura%20Civil%20Judge%20Chaya%20Sharma%20last%20in%20September%20was%20dismissed%20summarily%20on%20account%20of%20the%20Places%20of%20Worship%20Act%201991%2C%20which%20disallowed%20any%20change%20in%20the%20status%20of%20any%20place%20of%20worship%20from%20how%20it%20stood%20on%20August%2015%2C%201947.

But%2C%20Agnihotri%u2019s%20appeal%20before%20District%20and%20Session%20Judge%20Sadhana%20Rani%20Thakur%20in%20October%20did%20not%20go%20unheeded.%20The%20district%20judge%20issued%20notices%20to%20all%20concerned%20parties%2C%20including%20the%20Sunni%20Central%20Waqf%20Board%2C%20the%20Shahi%20Masjid%20Idgah%20Management%20Trust%2C%20as%20well%20as%20Shri%20Krishna%20Janmbhoomi%20Trust%2C%20Shree%20Krishna%20Janmsthan%20Sewa%20Sansthan.

On%20being%20contacted%2C%20Agnihotri%20pointedly%20accused%20Purohit%20Mahasabha%20of%20being%20%26nbsp%3B%u201CCongress%20sponsored.%u201D%20Alleging%20that%20the%20Purohit%20Samaj%u2019s%20intervention%20was%20politically%20motivated%2C%20she%20told%20OPOYI%2C%20%u201Cthe%20Purohit%20Mahasabha%20has%20no%20locus%20standi%20to%20intervene%20in%20the%20case%3B%20its%20president%20Mahesh%20Pathak%20ji%20is%20not%20just%20a%20Congressman%2C%20he%20has%20even%20contested%20the%20parliamentary%20election%20from%20Mathura%20on%20a%20Congress%20ticket%20and%20lost%20miserably%20to%20BJP%u2019s%20Hema%20Malini.%u201D

She%20said%2C%20%u201CWe%20are%20going%20to%20draw%20the%20court%u2019s%20attention%20to%20all%20these%20facts%20about%20the%20Purohit%20Mahabasha%20on%20December%2010.%u201D

%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23Mathura%22%20data-user-id%3D%22q96bLUhzDwT2%22%20href%3D%22/topic/mathura%22%3E%23Mathura%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23Ayodhya%22%20data-user-id%3D%22NWBmyg0fd2YY%22%20href%3D%22/topic/ayodhya%22%3E%23Ayodhya%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23UttarPradesh%22%20data-user-id%3D%228fpxFfZw7Hfa%22%20href%3D%22/topic/uttar-pradesh%22%3E%23UttarPradesh%3C/a%3E%26nbsp%3B