Panel objects to plea seeking to ‘secure’ Gyanvapi mosque
The Varanasi district court has heard an application seeking to secure the Gyanvapi mosque premises to protect "important evidence" in the ongoing Shringar Gauri-Gyanvapi suit. The application alleges that Hindu symbols and signs were being removed from the mosque and requests the preservation of the premises. The Muslim side has objected to the application, calling the allegations false. The court has set August 17 as the next date of hearing.
The Varanasi district court on Wednesday heard an application seeking an order to secure the Gyanvapi mosque premises to protect “important evidence” and posted the matter on August 17, people familiar with the development said.
The application was filed on August 2 by Rakhi Singh, one of the plaintiffs in the Shringar Gauri-Gyanvapi suit seeking the permission to perform daily worship of Hindu idols present on the outer wall of the mosque. The suit is pending before the district court.
In her application — filed through advocates Manbahadur Singh and Anupam Dwivedi — Rakhi Singh has alleged that people associated with Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee (AIMC), which manages the 17th-century mosque, tried to remove Hindu symbols and signs and other historical evidences present in the Gyanvapi mosque.
“Several important signs/symbols were found during the survey of the mosque last year (in May 2022). These are very important evidences. We filed the application in the court, urging the court to preserve (secure) the entire Gyanvapi premises in order to secure all sign/symbols, which are very important evidences for the Shringar Gauri-Gyanvapi case,” Dwivedi said.
Advocate Manbahadur Singh said, “The signs and symbols present in the Gyanvapi are historical evidences. The Gyanvapi should be preserved to protect the important historical evidences.”
However, the Muslim side on Wednesday filed an objection to the application, saying the plaintiff levelled “false and baseless” allegations against the committee and its people.
The objection was filed by mosque committee’s counsels Mumtaz Ahmad, Rais Ansari and Akhlaque Ahmad. “We filed (an) objection against the application,” Mumtaz Ahmad said.
SM Yasin, the joint secretary of Intezamia committee, alleged that the application was filed by the plaintiff with “mala fide intention to stop Muslim devotees from offering prayers in the Gyanvapi mosque”.
The court heard the matter and fixed August 17 as the next date of hearing, Rakhi Singh’s counsel Manbahadur Singh said, adding that he urged the court to give time to file the rejoinder in the matter. “We will file a rejoinder against the objection on the next date, August 17,” he added.
Earlier, the Muslim side had urged the court to allow it file an objection against the application on August 4, after which the district judge posted the matter for August 9.
