Peterborough Council: UK: Peterborough Council denies sale of Hindu temple to mosque ‘illegal’
LONDON: Peterborough City Council argued in the High Court on Monday that its decision to sell a Hindu temple complex to a Muslim association to redevelop it into a mosque and Islamic center was “not unlawful”.Catherine Rowlands, representing the council, said the fact that the Hindu community would lose the only temple they owned within a 35-mile radius did not mean the decision to sell the New England complex to UK Islamic Mission (UKIM), which planned to build the Khadijah mosque there, was unlawful or a breach of public sector equality obligations.“Protected characteristics (such as Hindu beliefs) need to be taken into account when decisions are made, but decisions are not forced,” Rowlands said, noting that Hindus are protected by leasehold rights until the site is redeveloped, at which time they will be evicted.
“The council’s position is that the Hindu community is valued and we want them to stay,” she said. This prompted laughter from Hindus in the public gallery, some wearing orange “Jai Shree Ram” T-shirts. A Hindu carriage arrived from Peterborough and filled the packed court.“Peterborough is a big place – there are lots of other venues,” Rowlands said, while Hindus in the public gallery shook their heads. “Council has put forward proposals for alternative venues.”Judge Morris questioned why the council would do so if UKIM had set a fundraising target for 2035. “That could happen next week,” Rowlands said. “They might win the lottery.”Although the Bharat Hindu Samaj (BHS) is the existing tenant, having leased unit 6 since 1986, and has been in talks to buy the building for a decade, the council decided on February 10 to sell the site to UKIM. BHS is seeking a judicial review of the decision and asking the court to quash it.UKIM offered £1.4 million (approximately Rs. 180 million) for the site and showed cash proof of £5.4 million (approximately Rs. 692 million). The Bharat Hindu Samaj offered £900,000 (Rs 11.5 crore), plus a “social value” of £504,000 (Rs 64 crore) for its community services.“Peterborough Council is in difficulty. We need money,” Rowlands said.
