VARANASI: Petitioners in the Gyanapi Mosque case on Monday wholeheartedly welcomed the Varanasi court order which dismissed a plea by the Anjuman Islamia Masjid committee challenging the maintainability of the suit filed by five Hindu women seeking worshipping rights in the Gyanvapi mosque compound.


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Reacting to the court order, the five Hindu women petitioners, who have sought the right to daily worship Hindu deities whose idols are located on the outer wall of the Gyanvapi mosque, said that it is a big victory for every Hindu and they should celebrate it in a big way.


“Bharat is happy today. My Hindu brothers and sisters should light diyas to celebrate," Manju Vyas, the petitioner from the Hindu side, said as she celebrated the Varanasi court’s verdict.


 



 


Sohan Lal Arya, another petitioner in the Gyanvapi Mosque case, said, “It’s a win for the Hindu community. The next hearing is on Sep 22. It’s a foundation stone for the Gyanvapi temple. I appeal to people to maintain peace.


 



 


The reactions came shortly after the Varanasi district court rejected the plea by the Muslim side questioning the maintainability of a petition seeking permission for daily worship of Hindu deities whose idols are located on the outer wall of the Gyanvapi mosque. District Judge A K Vishvesh ordered that it would continue to hear the petition seeking the right to worship in the temple.


The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee has argued that the Gyanvapi mosque is a Waqf property and has questioned the maintainability of the plea. The district judge had last month reserved the order till September 12 in the communally sensitive matter. The court fixed September 22 as the next date of hearing in the case.


Sharing more details, said Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side in the Gyanvapi mosque case, said, “The court rejected the Muslim side`s petition and said the suit is maintainable. The next hearing of the case is on September 22.” Earlier, the Hindu side had said that they will seek for Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) survey and carbon dating of `Shivling` if the judgment comes in their favour.


What is Gyanvapi Masjid row all about?


 


The petition was filed by five women seeking permission for daily worship of Hindu deities whose idols are said to be located on an outer wall of the Gyanvapi mosque, which is located close to Kashi Vishwanath temple. Following this, a Varanasi court ordered the survey of the mosque complex. Following this, a local Varanasi court ordered a videography survey of the complex in May. 


The survey work was completed on May 16 and the report was presented in the court on May 19. After the videography survey claims were made by the Hindu side that a structure, resembling a Shivling was found in the mosque complex but the Masjid committee contested that it was a fountain and not a Shivling.


(With Agency Inputs)