 "Gyanvapi Mosque")
Allahabad High Court, on Friday, adjourned the hearing in the Gyanvapi case till February 6, over the Muslim side's plea against the Varanasi court order allowing the Hindu side to offer prayers in the mosque.
The Varanasi court, on Wednesday, allowed the Hindu plaintiffs to pray in the mosque's sealed basement, following which a puja was performed in the premises on Thursday.
The Anzuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, which manages the mosque’s affairs, had moved the HC after the Supreme Court refused to hear their plea against the lower court’s order.
Varanasi court allows puja in 'Vyas ji ka tahkhana'
The district court allows Hindus to worship in the southern cellar - "Vyas ji ka tahkhana" located in the Gyanvapi complex. It also ordered the administration to make arrangements for the same within seven days.
The court order also instructed the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust to appoint a priest for the puja by Thursday.
The Muslim side contended before the HC that the order allowing the puja was passed in a "very hurried manner." Their advocate S F A Naqvi also submitted before the court that the order was passed on the day of retirement of the judge concerned.
More From This Section
Varanasi district judge Ajaya Krishna Vishvesha retired from service on January 31.
Hindu side says appeal not maintainable
Meanwhile, advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side contended that the mosque committee's appeal is not maintainable. He said that the district court, by means of order dated January 17, had appointed District Magistrate, Varanasi as the receiver of the property, in pursuance of which he took possession of the same on January 24.
He said the January 31 order allowing the puja is a consequential one as the order dated January 17 was not challenged.
On this, Naqvi said he has to move an amendment application challenging the January 17 order.
ASI report made public by Hindu side
The development follows days after the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) survey report of the mosque premises was made public by the Hindu side on January 25.
The ASI had carried out a survey following an order from the Varanasi district court on July 21, 2023.
The report claimed that a "large Hindu temple existed" before the construction of the Gyanvapi mosque.
"...the pre-existing structure appears to have been destroyed in the 17th century, during the reign of Aurangzeb, and part of it was modified and reused in the existing structure," the report said.
Meanwhile, the Muslim side has disputed the report, citing inaccuracies.
(With PTI inputs)
(With PTI inputs)
