Plea for Hindu worship in Gyanvapi mosque maintainable: Allahabad HC
The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday dismissed the Anjuman Intezamia Committee's petition challenging the maintainability of the Hindu side's plea. At least five Hindu women devotees had requested permission to worship inside the premises of the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. A Varanasi district court earlier found the women's plea maintainable, but the committee challenged the ruling in the HC.
Why does this story matter?
The Gyanvapi mosque row, dubbed "Babri Masjid 2.0," started when some Hindu groups demanded the right to pray in the mosque in defiance of the Places of Worship Act, 1991. The Hindu groups claim that the structure was built upon a temple that was destroyed by Muslim invaders. The age of an alleged shivling will determine if it's a remnant of the purported temple.
Single bench of Justice JJ Munir passed dismissal order
The dismissal order was passed by Justice JJ Munir. The lawyers for the Muslim side, however, contended that the judgment was not a significant success for the Hindu side and that the ruling might be contested in the Supreme Court. Mohammad Tauheed Khan, the Muslim side's counsel, stated that the next course of action will be determined after the order is read.
Decision paves way for Varanasi court to hear Hindu side
Notably, the high court's decision to dismiss the committee's appeal has paved the way for the Hindu side's case to be heard in Varanasi. A civil court in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, will hear the Hindu devotees' plea on July 7. The women who submitted the case are currently allowed to pray inside the mosque complex on the fourth day of Chaitra and Vasantik Navratri.
How did counsels representing Hindu side react
Reacting to the verdict, Advocate Hari Shankar Jain, the counsel representing the Hindu side, said, "I hope that the day is not far when we will construct a grand Shiv temple there and the present structure will be removed." "It is a historic verdict...The court clearly has said that Mosque Committee's petition is not maintainable and dismissed it," said another counsel, Vishnu Shankar Jain.
'It's a big win for Hindu side': Advocate Subhash Chaturvedi
Case began in 2021 after 5 Hindu women filed plea
The case gained traction in 2021 when five Hindu women filed a suit in the Varanasi district court, seeking the right to worship Shringar Gauri and other deities in the Gyanvapi mosque compound. In September of last year, the Varanasi court ruled that the Hindu side's plea was maintainable. The mosque committee then appealed the ruling in the Allahabad HC in October 2022.
Supreme Court refused to intervene
The committee had also moved the Supreme Court, arguing that the suit filed by the plaintiffs attempted to change the religious character of the mosque. The apex court, highlighting the "complexity of the issues," stated that it would only interfere after preliminary rulings were made.
