Highlights
- The court rejected the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee’s petition questioning the maintainability
- The matter could also come up before the Supreme Court on October 20
- Allahabad HC set September 28 as the next date for hearing another case on the Varanasi mosque case
Gyanvapi Mosque case: The Varanasi district court dismissed the Gyanvapi Masjid committee’s plea that was questioning the maintainability of a petition seeking daily worship of Hindu deities, the idols of whom at located on the outer wall of the Gyanvapi Masjid. District Judge A K Vishvesh rejected the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee’s petition questioning the maintainability of the case, which has reignited the Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi Masjid dispute.
Meanwhile, the Allahabad High Court which is hearing another case on the Varanasi temple-mosque dispute on Monday fixed September 28 for its next hearing. The Varanasi district court has also said that the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 does not apply in this case. In this case, the devotees are seeking permission for daily worship of the idols they say are already installed there.
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Dismissing the mosque committee’s plea, the judge said, “In view of the above discussions and analysis, I have come to the conclusion that the suit of the plaintiffs is not barred by the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, the Waqf Act, 1995 and UP Sri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Act, 1983.
Advocate Merajuddin Siddiqui later said the mosque committee will challenge the order in Allahabad High Court. The matter could also come up before the Supreme Court on October 20, the date it fixed during a hearing on the matter in July. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board called the Varanasi court order “disappointing and painful”.
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Several BJP leaders, including two Union ministers, welcomed it, with the party's national secretary Y Satya Kumar terming it a "triumph of the truth." The Vishva Hindu Parishad too hailed it. The Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya seemed to express hope that Mathura – where another mosque-temple dispute is being heard – could also see a similar outcome. “Karvat leti Mathura, Kashi,” he tweeted in Hindi.
Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs Ashwini Kumar Choubey said, "Kashi and Mathura are the pride of our Sanatan Dharma. This decision is for the uplift of our culture." The district judge had on August 24 reserved the order on the issue of maintainability till September 12.
Supreme Court directs to decide maintainability
The Supreme Court had directed the district court to first decide on the maintainability of the case, filed by five Hindu women seeking permission to offer daily prayers before the idols of Shringar Gauri.
The Gyanvapi mosque committee had approached the apex court, arguing that their plea was not maintainable as the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 mandated that the character of such places should remain as it was at Independence. The 1991 law made an exemption only for the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute.
Gyanvapi case: Tight security in Varanasi ahead of court order
Meanwhile, prohibitory orders were clamped and security was tightened in the city ahead of the court order on Monday. Confirming the restrictions in Varanasi, Police Commissioner A Satish Ganesh on Sunday said prohibitory orders have been issued in the Varanasi commissionerate and officers have been asked to interact with religious leaders in their respective areas to ensure that peace is maintained.
To maintain law and order, he said, the entire city has been divided into sectors that have been allocated police forces as per their requirement. Directives for flag march and foot march in sensitive areas have also been issued, he said. Checking has been intensified in the district's border areas, hotels and guest houses, while an eye is being also kept on social media.
(With inputs from PTI)
