Professor demands gun license from PM after Gyanvapi 'shivling' comments
Delhi University's History professor Ratan Lal has stated that he has received online threats as a result of his controversial remarks concerning the shivling found at Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi. The statement by the Hindu college professor sparked outrage online, prompting him to write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding a gun license for his own safety.
Why does this story matter?
Gyanvapi Mosque is at the center of a dispute between the two communities in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi. Recently, a shivling was found inside the mosque complex during a survey after which the court ordered to seal the spot. Disputing the shivling claim, the management committee of the Gyanvapi Mosque said the object was part of the fountain at the wuzukhana.
What did the professor post on Facebook?
"If this is shivling, it seems that possibly Shiva ji was also circumcised," Lal wrote in Hindi and shared a photo on Facebook. "The shivling doesn't look broken, it looks cut. What did I say?" he told India Today. "If Muslims came to the country and converted people, what's the first thing they must've done? In Islam, the first thing is circumcision," he added.
His comments after the outrage
Lal claimed that religious leaders said the same thing that he wrote on Facebook. "Is this a dictatorship that you won't let me say what I think?" he told India Today. "There's no documented proof of when the mosque was built. The agenda is being set for the 2024 polls. If you want to argue, make a forum and call a historian," he said.
Delhi police files case against professor
The Delhi Police registered a case against Lal in response to social media criticism. The case was brought in response to a complaint made by Supreme Court lawyer Vineet Jindal. He was accused of infringing on Hindu religious sensitivities. The complaint has been filed under the Sections 153, 153A, 298, and 505(2) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for his insulting and instigating tweet.
Have a look at the tweet by the complainant here
What do we know about the Gyanvapi case?
According to a petition filed in a Varanasi court in 1991, the Gyanvapi Mosque was built in the 16th century on the orders of Aurangzeb by removing a section of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Permission to worship at the complex was requested by petitioners and local priests. The plaintiffs' plea for an ASI survey was put on hold by the Allahabad HC in 2019.
How did the current dispute arise?
The present dispute arose when five Hindu women petitioners sought to worship Shringar Gauri and other idols within the Mosque compound on a regular basis. Devotees can currently worship at Shringar Gauri only on the fourth day of Chaitra Navratri. Later, on April 26, 2022, the court directed the advocate commissioner to conduct a survey and videography.
