The Allahabad High Court has reserved its judgment on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the removal of Mathura’s Shahi Idgah mosque. The petitioner claimed that the mosque was built on the Krishna Janmabhoomi, the birthplace of Lord Krishna. The division bench comprising Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker and Justice Ashutosh Srivastava reserved the judgment after hearing the PIL filed by Mahek Maheshwari. The PIL has sought the removal of the Shahi Idgah mosque and for the land to be handed over to the Hindus for the construction of a temple. The petitioner has also requested permission for Hindus to worship at the mosque on certain days and during the festival of Janmashtami, until the petition is disposed of. The petitioner alleged that Lord Krishna was born in the prison of King Kans and the place of his birth lies beneath the present structure raised by the Shahi Idgah Trust. The petitioner has further prayed for a court-monitored excavation of the disputed structure by the Archaeological Survey of India. The PIL argues that a mosque is not an essential part of Islam and therefore the disputed land should be handed over to the Hindus for the exercise of their right to freely profess, practice, and propagate their religion under Article 25 of the Constitution.