Court orders handover of Gyanvapi basement keys to Varanasi DM
A district court has ordered that the keys to the Gyanvapi complex basement, known as "Vyas ji ka tehkhana," be handed over to the Varanasi district magistrate. District Judge AK Vishwesh emphasized the importance of properly maintaining the basement, located at the southern end of the complex. Shailendra Kumar Pathak, the grandson of priest Somnath Vyas, filed the petition to hand over the keys in September, citing concerns about the Muslim side's attempts to establish control over the courtyard.
Why does this story matter?
Right-wing Hindu groups assert that several mosques, including the Gyanvapi Mosque, were built by Muslim invaders after destroying Hindu temples. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), after its formation, fomented the issue in the 1980s and 1990s, touting it as a reclamation project for Hindus. However, some Hindu priests reportedly rejected the claims of right-wing groups—especially over the Gyanvapi issue—accusing them of inciting communal tensions.
Gyanvapi Mosque basement case background
The Hindu side's counsel, Madan Mohan Yadav, had previously stated that the basement was used for worship by priest Vyas before it was locked and barricaded in 1993. On Wednesday, district Judge Vishvesha appointed Varanasi's district magistrate as receiver for the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi Mosque. The next hearing date has been scheduled for January 25.
Next hearing on Gyanvapi row on January 24
The development came a month after the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) submitted its scientific survey report on the Gyanvapi Mosque complex before the Varanasi District Court in a sealed cover. The Varanasi court has said that it will decide on making the ASI report public and distributing a copy to the opposing parties on January 24. The Allahabad High Court allowed the survey last August after petitioners claimed the 17th-century mosque was constructed over a pre-existing Hindu temple.
SC allows water tank cleaning in Gyanvapi mosque
The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed a request to clean the water tank in the Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque complex. On Tuesday, a three-judge bench was hearing a plea by Hindu plaintiffs, who sought directions to clean it saying that dead fish was found in it. The mosque side did not oppose the application. They said they too had moved a similar request before the district administration. The bench directed that the cleaning be carried out under the administration's supervision.
