LONDON: Peterborough City Council argued in the High Court here on Monday that its decision to sell a Hindu temple complex to a Muslim consortium to redevelop it as a mosque and Islamic center was “not unlawful”.Catherine Rowlands, representing the council, said the fact that the Hindu community would lose its only temple within a 35-mile radius did not make the decision to sell the New England complex to the UK Islamic Mission (UKIM) – which plans to build Masjid Khadija there – illegal, nor was it a breach of the public sector’s equality duty.Rowlands said, “Protected characteristics (e.g. Hindu beliefs) should be taken into account when reaching a decision, but should not dictate a decision.” He explained that Hindus were protected by tenancy rights until the site was redeveloped, at which point they would be evicted.
He said, “It is the council’s position that the Hindu community is valued and we want them to remain.” At this the Hindus present in the public gallery, some of whom were wearing orange T-shirts with “Jai Shri Ram” on them, started laughing loudly. A coach of Hindus had come from Peterborough and filled the packed court.“Peterborough is a big place – there are lots of other precincts,” Rowlands said as Hindus in the public gallery nodded their heads. “Council has offered alternative premises.”Justice Morris questioned why the council did this if UKIM had set a fundraising target of 2035. “It could happen next week,” Rowlands said. “They might win the lottery.”The council decided to sell the site to UKIM on 10 February, even though Bharat Hindu Samaj (BHS) is an existing tenant that has leased Unit 6 since 1986 and had been in talks to buy the building for a decade. BHS is seeking judicial review of the decision and asking the court to overturn it.UKIM bid £1.4 million (about Rs 18 crore) for the site and submitted proof of £5.4 million (Rs 69.2 crore) in cash. Bharat Hindu Samaj bid £900,000 (₹11.5 crore) plus £504,000 (₹6.4 crore) in “social value” for its community services.“Peterborough Council is tough. We need the money,” Rowlands said.