A fast-track court in Varanasi on Tuesday adjourned till November 14 to deliver its verdict on the maintainability of a plea seeking a ban on Muslims entering the premises of the Gyanvapi mosque and keeping it for worship of a ‘Shivlinga’ allegedly found there. Civil Judge (Higher Division) Mahendra Pandey reserved judgment in the case on October 27. The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee (AIMC), which manages the mosque, questioned the maintainability of the Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh (VVSS) suit and demanded a ban and ownership of the premises. It argued that the mosque was registered as a waqf (charitable foundation) property and the civil court had no jurisdiction to hear the matter. AIMC argued that only the waqf tribunal had jurisdiction to hear the matter.
Mirazuddin Siddiqui, a lawyer for AIMC, said they have submitted proof that the Gyanvapi mosque is a waqf property. Kiran Singh, International General Secretary of VVSS, filed the suit. A group of Hindu women separately applied for the right to worship at the mosque, saying it was the site of a Hindu temple. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the plea regarding the protection of the ‘shivlinga’ on November 10. The Supreme Court in May ordered the area where she was allegedly found protected.
Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the five Hindu women, approached the apex court to list the matter before the November 12 deadline for protection. The Supreme Court ordered the protection of the area where the ‘Shivling’ was allegedly found after a trial court allowed a video recording of the mosque complex adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The Supreme Court allowed Muslims to pray and ordered the authorities to ensure that those visiting the mosque are made suitable arrangements to observe religious practices.
