Supreme Court to Rule on Gyanvapi Shivling Puja Petition Amidst Communal Row

New Delhi’s highest court will hear arguments on a petition that seeks permission for Hindu worship at the Shivling situated within the sealed part of the Gyanvapi mosque complex. The request, filed for the auspicious month of Shravana, comes after the area was locked following a 2022 interim decree. The Hindu side has assured the bench that every safety requirement will be met before any ceremony. Earlier in the month, both faith groups turned down the Supreme Court’s suggestion for a “resolution ceremony” and chose to resolve the dispute through regular judicial proceedings. While Hindu claimants contend that the mosque was built atop a demolished temple, Muslim representatives describe the structure as a legitimate waqf property. The Varanasi district court’s January 2024 order permitting worship in the ‘Vyasa’ cellar was upheld by the Allahabad High Court, which mandated the district magistrate to facilitate the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust’s worship arrangements.