Gyanvapi verdict: Priest decides, intermittent prayers; Muslim side pleads guilty in HC on February 8

Prayers will apparently be held regularly after a district court ruled that Hindus can offer prayers in the sealed basement of the Jawapi Masjid adjacent to the Kashgar Vishwanath Temple. A priest has also been appointed by the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust and the petitioner, who claimed that his grandfather was performing puja in the cellar till December 1993.

Devotees plan to visit ‘Vyas Ka Tekhana’ every day

‘We are proud today’: Hindu advocate

After the court granted permission for ‘Vyas Ka Tekhana’ to hold puja, advocate Sohan Lal Arya said: “We are very proud today. The court’s verdict yesterday is unprecedented… Arrangements have been made but are not yet open to devotees…”

Muslims challenge HC order

While the VHP welcomed the order, Muslim lawyer Mumtaz Ahmed said they would challenge it in the High Court. The judge said the plaintiff could file an objection to the court on February 8. The court has directed the local administration to arrange for prayers to be performed in the cellar within seven days. This will involve “appropriate arrangements” for erecting metal barricades within the complex.

Barricades in front of Nandi statue to be removed

Hindu side lawyer Madan Mohan Yadav said the barricades in front of the Nandi statue facing the mosque ‘wazukhana’ will be removed to make way for it. Justice AK Vishvesha issued the order a day after the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) report on the mosque complex was released.

ASI survey recommends building mosques above Hindu temples

An ASI investigation ordered by the same court in connection with a related case revealed that the mosque was built during the reign of Aurangzeb and remains of a Hindu temple. Lawyer Yadav said Wednesday’s order came on the plea of ​​Shailendra Kumar Pathak, who claimed that his maternal grandfather, Pastor Somnath Vyas, had been In prayer until December 1993.

Pujas in Mulayam era stopped after Babri incident

He said the puja was stopped during the tenure of Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav after the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was demolished on December 6, 1992. Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya expressed their gratitude for this “historic decision” “Welcome. The BJP did not comment on the development, saying the matter was sub judice.

Muslims say prayers were not performed until 1993

During the hearing, both Muslim sides raised objections to the petitioners’ version. It is stated that no idol existed in the crypt and therefore before 1993, there was no question of offering prayers there. The Muslims, for their part, also refuted the petitioner’s claim that the basement was under the control of his grandfather.

The petitioner further claimed that under the “vansanugat” (dynasty), his family controlled the cellar even during British rule and they performed worship. In an order earlier on January 17, the Varanasi court directed the district magistrate to take charge of the cellars. But it did not issue any instructions at the time regarding the right to pray there.

What does the lawyer for the Muslim side say?

Mumtaz Ahmed, a representative of the Muslim side, said: “The district judge made a final ruling today giving Hindus the right to worship. We will now move the high court against this decision.” Maulana, senior member of the All India Personal Law Commission “People are disappointed with the decision but the doors are open to higher courts. Our lawyers will challenge the decision,” Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali told reporters in Lucknow.

Alok Kumar of the VHP, in his response, congratulated the Hindu community and said, “We hope that after this, the court verdict in the Gyanvapi case will also come soon. We believe that based on evidence and facts, this decision will be in favor of the Hindus .” Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said that this is an important day for Hindus. “It is a matter of happiness. The Varanasi court order in the Gyanvapi case will prove to be a landmark in a way,” Yadav told reporters here.

UP Dy CM welcomes decision

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Maurya posted on Advocate Vishnu Jain called the court’s decision “historic”. “This verdict is like the past orders in the Ayodhya case. Giving the right to worship to Jawapi Hindus is a great victory for us,” Jain said.