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Tag: Gyanvapi Mosque

  • Gyanvapi mosque case: HC extends stay on ASI survey order

    By PTI

    PRAYAGRAJ: The Allahabad High Court, which is hearing a petition in connection with a 1991 Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque suit in Varanasi, was on Monday informed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) that it will obey the court’s direction in the matter.

    Justice Prakash Padia also extended till November 30 the interim stay on a Varanasi court order directing the ASI to conduct a survey at the Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque complex and further proceedings in this case.

    Following a court order on October 18, an affidavit was filed by the Director General of the ASI. It stated that the ASI is ready to obey the court’s directions, according to sources.

    Justice Padia fixed the next hearing on November 11, 2022, on the petition of Anjuman Intezamia Masajid, the Gyanvapi Mosque management committee of Varanasi and others challenging the maintainability of an original suit filed in 1991 in the Varanasi district court.

    The original suit sought restoration of the ancient Kashi Vishwanath temple at the site where the Gyanvapi Mosque currently stands. The petitioners claimed in the suit that the mosque is a part of the temple.

    PRAYAGRAJ: The Allahabad High Court, which is hearing a petition in connection with a 1991 Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque suit in Varanasi, was on Monday informed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) that it will obey the court’s direction in the matter.

    Justice Prakash Padia also extended till November 30 the interim stay on a Varanasi court order directing the ASI to conduct a survey at the Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque complex and further proceedings in this case.

    Following a court order on October 18, an affidavit was filed by the Director General of the ASI. It stated that the ASI is ready to obey the court’s directions, according to sources.

    Justice Padia fixed the next hearing on November 11, 2022, on the petition of Anjuman Intezamia Masajid, the Gyanvapi Mosque management committee of Varanasi and others challenging the maintainability of an original suit filed in 1991 in the Varanasi district court.

    The original suit sought restoration of the ancient Kashi Vishwanath temple at the site where the Gyanvapi Mosque currently stands. The petitioners claimed in the suit that the mosque is a part of the temple.

  • Gyanvapi mosque case: Next hearing on July 12

    By PTI

    VARANASI: The district court here fixed July 12 as the next date for hearing the maintainability of the Gyanvapi mosque-Shringar Gauri complex case as the Muslim side presented its arguments on Monday.

    Madan Mohan Yadav, the counsel for the Hindu side, said the Muslim side argued on the maintainability of the case during which they read out all points, including the petition filed on behalf of the Hindu side for allowing regular worship at the Gyanvapi mosque.

    They sought more time to present their arguments after which the court fixed July 12 as the next date for hearing, he said.

    Muslim side advocate Mohammad Tohid Khan said they read out all points in the court, which has given them time to present their arguments on July 12.

    Earlier, five women had filed a petition seeking permission for daily worship of Hindu deities whose idols are located on an outer wall of the mosque.

    A lower court had ordered a videography survey of the complex. The survey work was completed on May 16 and the report was presented in the court on May 19.

    The Hindu side had claimed in the court that a Shivling was found during the videography survey of the Gyanvapi mosque-Shringar Gauri complex.

    On the order of the Supreme Court later, the matter is now being heard in the district judge’s court from May 23.

  • Gyanvapi row: VVSS files petition in Varanasi district court seeking FIR against AIM

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: Taking the row over Gyanvapi mosque to the next level, the Vishva Vaidik Sanatan Sangh (VVSS) chief Jitendra Singh “Visen” on Tuesday petitioned the court of the Varanasi district judge seeking the registration of an FIR against

    Anjuman Intezamia Masajid (AIM) Committee and its associates under the Place of Worship Act and other pertinent sections for its alleged bid to damage the basic structure of the Lord Visheshwar Temple on the Gyanvapi premises. 

    The Court admitted the petition and posted it on June 23 for hearing.

    The petition was a revised one as earlier, it was rejected by the court of the special chief judicial magistrate. Due to the District Judge being on leave, the petition was presented in the court of Additional District Judge II for hearing.

    The court fixed June 23 as the date of hearing when the petition would be produced before the district judge.

    Besides, the VVSS chief has filed another petition seeking a ban on the entry of the members of the minority community on Gyanvapi premises. It is slated to be heard on July 8 in the fast-track court of civil judge (senior division) Mahendra Kumar Pandey.  

    In fact, Visen had filed the said petition before the court of civil judge (senior division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar on May 24 demanding the court’s directive to allow regular worship of Lord Aadi Visheshwar on the Gyanvapi premises.

    On May 25, the petition was transferred from the court of civil judge (senior division) to Fast Track Court. On May 30, the Fast Track Court fixed July 8 as the next date of hearing in the case.

  • Gyanvapi mosque dispute: Fresh plea in SC seeks intervention in proceedings 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: A fresh plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking intervention in the Gyanvapi mosque dispute.

    It contended that Muslims cannot assert any right in respect of any piece of land claiming to be mosque unless it has been constructed on legally owned and occupied virgin land.

    The petitioner stated that property vested in the deity continues to be the deity’s property irrespective of the fact that any person has taken illegal possession and offered namaz.

    The petition, filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay through advocate Ashwani Kumar Dubey, submitted that only those places can be protected, which were erected or constructed in accordance with the personal law of the person who erected/constructed them, but places erected or constructed in derogation of the personal law, cannot be termed as a ‘place of worship’.

    “It is submitted that retrospective cutoff date was fixed August 15, 1947 to legalise the illegal acts of barbaric invaders. Though, Hindu Law (Temple Character never changes) was ‘Law in force’ at the commencement of the Constitution by virtue of Article 372(1). It is submitted that Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs have right to profess, practice propagate religion as provided in their religious scriptures and Article 13 prohibits from making law which takes away their rights,” the plea said.

    The petition contended that the status of a mosque could be given only to such structures which have been constructed according to tenets of Islam and mosques constructed against the provisions contained in Islamic law cannot be termed as mosque.

    Anjuman Intezamia Masjid, the management committee of the Gyanvapi mosque, had moved the apex court seeking a stay on the survey of the complex.

    The top court on May 20 had transferred the civil suit filed by Hindu devotees on Gyanvapi mosque from civil judge (senior division) to district judge, Varanasi saying looking at the complexities and sensitivity of the issue, it is better if a senior judicial officer having an experience of over 25-30 years handles this case.

    The apex court directed the district judge to decide on the priority of the application under Order 7 Rule 11 of CPC (on maintainability) filed by the mosque committee, which said that the civil suit is barred by a 1991 law of Parliament, be decided upon the transfer of papers of suit from the civil judge (senior division).

  • Gyanvapi issue: District judge to deliver order on maintainability of Shringar Gauri worship plea

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: A Varanasi district court, hearing the Gyanvapi Mosque-Kashi Vishwanath Temple dispute, has decided to deliver the order on Tuesday to decide the maintainability of the petition seeking daily worship of Shringar Gauri present on the premises of the mosque.

    The court would also decide whether to take the advocate commissioner’s survey report of the mosque into account and invite objections to it or not.

    The cases related to the Gyanvapi mosque were transferred from Varanasi Civil Judge (Senior Division) to the district court of Judge Dr Ajaya Krishna Vishvesha on Monday in compliance with the Supreme Court’s Friday order.

    District and Sessions Judge Dr AK Vishvesha is expected to deliver an order as the arguments over the maintainability of the suit were concluded on Monday after the Hindu parties submitted their objections to the survey report by the advocate commissioner, who had videographed and conducted a survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque.

    EDITORIAL | SC bid to put the Gyanvapi genie back in the bottle

    The Muslim parties represented by Anjuman Intezamia Masajid (AIM) had challenged the maintainability of the suit seeking daily worship of Shringar Gauri saying the Places of Worship Act of 1991 did not allow any petition in this connection as the Act protected the status of all religious structures as they stood on August 15, 1947.

    On Tuesday, the district court will decide which petition to hear and when in order of procedure.

    In all, five petitions — including the AIM’s plea challenging the maintainability of the petition seeking daily worship of Shringar Gauri situated on mosque premises under Places of Worship Act 1991, a plea of a bunch of five women seeking daily worship of Shringar Gauri on Gaynvapi mosque premises, worship of ‘Shivlinga’ allegedly found in mosque’s wuzu khana during survey petition by state government counsel to make alternative arrangement for wuzu as the wuzu khana stands sealed by the Supreme Court order, a petition seeking a further survey of western walls of the mosque, the debris lying on the basementbehind the sealed Wuzu Khana and the opening of the basement — are pending.

    Earlier, the Varanasi civil court had ordered a survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque by a court-appointed advocate commissioner in response to a petition — Rakhi Singh vs the State of UP – seeking daily worship of Shringar Gauri. The advocate commissioner had conducted the survey, videographed it and submitted a report to the civil court on May 19.

    However, the Hindu side contended in District and Sessions court that without taking the survey report into account, the maintainability of the petition seeking Shringar Gauri worship could not be decided as the nature of the religious structure is the subject matter of the dispute.

    The plaintiffs before the Court are ten individuals acting as next friends of the deities claimed to be existing within the precincts of the mosque.

    They have claimed that a Jyotirlingam in the ancient temple was desecrated in 1669 under the orders of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, but Maa Shringar Gauri, Lord Ganesh and other deities continued to exist.

    After the partial demolition of the ancient temple of Lord Adi Visheshwar, the Gyanvapi Mosque was raised, the plaint filed through advocates Hari Shankar Jain and Pankaj Kumar Verma said.

  • Gyanvapi controversy is attempt to divert attention from inflation, unemployment: Pawar

    He was speaking to reporters after meeting representatives of some Brahmin organizations.

  • BJP raising issues like Gyanvapi mosque as its graph is dipping, says Digvijaya

    By PTI

    INDORE: Congress Rajya Sabha member Digvijaya Singh on Friday said the ruling BJP was raking up religious issues like the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi as its performance graph was continuously falling due to rising inflation, unemployment and depreciation in rupee value against the US dollar.

    He also criticised the Centre’s move to ban the export of wheat.

    “This is not a new thing. Inflation and unemployment are rising, rupee value is dropping and the Modi government’s graph is tumbling. In this condition what are they going to do?” he told reporters here.

    The former CM was replying to a query over the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi, where a court-mandated survey of the premises has been completed, and other religious rows.

    Singh said the Modi government’s decision to suddenly ban wheat export has inflicted massive losses to small and medium traders.

    Asked about former Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar’s comments, made after joining the BJP, that some leaders of the Sonia Gandhi-led party were busy “flattering the high command”, Singh, taking a swipe at his ex-colleague, quipped, “He took a long time to understand this.”

    On the CBI registering a fresh corruption case against former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members, Singh alleged the RJD leader was being harassed.

  • Country will be ruined if movement begins to save Gyanvapi mosque, Shahi Idgah: Babri case plaintiff

    By PTI

    AYODHYA: Main plaintiff in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case Haji Mahboob has claimed that the country will be ruined if Muslims begin a movement to save the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi and the Shahi Idgah in Mathura.

    He alleged that after the Babri mosque, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is now conspiring to take away the Gyanvapi mosque and the Shahi Idgah.

    “They should forget about taking away the two mosques forcibly as there will be a big movement to save the Gyanvapi mosque and the Idgah in Mathura, and Muslims will not back down this time,” Mahboob said.

    “Gyanvapi Masjid will remain where it is. A propaganda is being created that a Shivling has been found. It is indeed a fountain in the mosque’s wazookhana,” he said.

    Talking about the Babri mosque verdict, Mahboob said, “The Supreme Court in its Ayodhya verdict, even after accepting every thing in favour of Babri Masjid, awarded the decree in favour of Ram Mandir. We remained silent and allowed the Ayodhya issue to get resolved,” he added.

    While a Varanasi court is hearing a petition of a group of women seeking the right to worship daily the Hindu idols on the outer wall of the Gyanvapi mosque, a Mathura district court on Thursday said a plea seeking to remove the Shahi Idgah Masjid from the complex it shares with the Katra Keshav Dev Temple is admissible.

  • ‘Stop making provocative remarks’: priests’ body to Hindu, Muslim groups amid Gyanvapi row

    By PTI

    MATHURA: A body of temple priests has urged Hindu and Muslim groups not to give provocative statements, saying it would adversely hit the tourism sector in Mathura and Varanasi.

    “After spoiling the atmosphere in Varanasi and Mathura, not only ‘Tirath Purohits’ (priests) will suffer but traders and people engaged directly or indirectly in the tourist industry would also suffer,” Mahesh Pathak, national president of the Akhil Bharatiya Tirath Purohit Mahasabha, said while talking to reporters here.

    He said already the economy of both cities have been hit badly by the covid pandemic.

    He condemned alleged provocative statements by AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi.

    According to the priest body head, Hindus are also not lagging behind in making such statement.

    As their statements may spoil the atmosphere, these should be stopped, he said.

    Owaisi on Monday asserted he will not let the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, where a court-mandated videography survey has been completed, meet the fate of the Babri Masjid that was demolished in December 1992.

    The Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad said he will continue to speak on the Gyanvapi masjid issue, which he termed as an attempt to weaken the Constitution, as he was not scared of either Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath.

    Addressing a rally at Vadgam in Gujarat, where Assembly polls are due by the year-end, Owaisi said the accusation that the AIMIM by fielding its candidates will hurt the chances of the opposition Congress to win the elections in the BJP-ruled state was misplaced.

    The president of the Hyderabad-based All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) said people question him for speaking on the issue of Gyanvapi mosque.

    “I will speak because I have not sold my ‘jameer’ (conscience), nor will I ever do so. I speak because I am only scared of Allah and not any Modi or Yogi. I speak because the Constitution that was framed by Babasaheb Ambedkar gives me the freedom of expression,” he said.

    The AIMIM leader said he will not let the Gyanvapi mosque meet the fate of the Babri masjid in Ayodhya that was demolished nearly three decades ago.

    Owaisi said he will not be deterred by criticism directed at him for protesting against the court order directing a survey of the medieval-era mosque in Varanasi.

    “I am pained (by the survey) because the Indian Constitution is being weakened, the judgement of the Supreme Court is being ignored, and those who question me should read section 4(2) of the 1991 law (the Places of Worship Act),” he said.

    The Act prohibits filing of any suit or initiating any other legal proceeding for a conversion of the religious character of any place of worship, as existing on August 15, 1947.

    A court on Monday directed the Varanasi district administration to seal the spot in the Gyanvapi masjid complex where a Shivling was reportedly found during a court-mandated videography survey, which concluded after three days.

    The mosque is located close to the iconic Kashi Vishwanath temple and the Varanasi court is hearing a plea by a group of women seeking permission for daily prayers before the idols on its outer walls.

    Owaisi said “bhakts of Godse (Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi)” are spreading hatred in the country against Muslims by invoking issues like hijab, job jihad and others.

    The AIMIM leader sought people’s support for his party for the upcoming elections and said the Congress, which is out of power in the state for nearly three decades now, was not in a position to speak on behalf of Muslims of Gujarat.

    “People say Owaisi and the AIMIM (by contesting polls) will benefit the BJP. I would like to ask the Congress party as to when you last formed a government in Gujarat? Owaisi and the AIMIM were not there all these years, so why were you defeated?” he asked.

    The Lok Sabha MP questioned the Congress over defection of its MLAs to the ruling BJP and having only three Muslim legislators in its fold in a House of 182.

    “Remember, you (Muslims) cannot change the government, but using your votes, you can help our representatives win and go to the Gujarat Vidhan Sabha to become your voice,” he said.

    Owaisi is in Gujarat to make preparations for the Assembly elections.

    He has said the AIMIM intends to contest the upcoming polls and the party is in the process of figuring out the seats on which it will field its candidates.

    His visit comes at a time when several office-bearers of the Gujarat AIMIM have quit their posts accusing the state unit of working for the benefit of the BJP.

  • SC to hear plea challenging inspection, video survey of premises inside Gyanvapi mosque on Tuesday

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court will hear the petition challenging the inspection and video survey of the premises inside the Gyanvapi mosque on Tuesday.

    Justice DY Chandrachud led bench will be hearing the case.

    The plea by senior advocate Hufeza Ahmadi for Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee that manages the Gyanvapi mosque was mentioned initially before the benched headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana on Friday.

    In a petition filed by five Hindu women seeking access and the right to worship at the western wall of the mosque complex, a local court of Varanasi had ordered an inspection of the premises through advocate commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra.

    The court on May 12 had refused Anjuman Islamia Masajid Committee‘s plea to replace advocate commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra.

    The court had further appointed Vishal Singh and Ajay Pratap Singh to assist Ajay Kumar in the survey.

    The local court order has asked for the survey report by the commissioner to be submitted by May 17.