'It Will Cause Hindrance To Muslims In Performing Religious Acts': Mosque Committee In Varanasi Court Opposing Plea To 'Preserve' Gyanvapi

Opposing an application filed before the District Judge to pass an order 'preserving' the Gyanvapi Mosque Premises in Varanasi, the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, which manages the Mosque in question, has said that if such an order is passed, it would cause hindrance to the common Muslims in offering name and performing religious activities inside the Mosque.In its reply to the application filed under Order 39 Rule 7 of the Civil Procedure Code by Rakhi Singh in the Shringar Gauri Worshipping suit 2022 (presently pending before the Varanasi Court), the Mosque committee has also denied the claims that its officials are destroying the historical evidence related to the Hindu religion which is available at the disputed site.The Mosque committee has also stated that the things found inside the disputed site during the local commission in May last year are still there and no damage has been caused to the same.The reply contends that the application filed by Singh is an attempt to create obstruction in the religious activities being performed by the common Muslims inside the Mosque. Hence, the Mosque committee has prayed for the rejection of the application filed by Singh before the Varanasi District Judge.Taking this reply on record, the District Judge today granted time to Rakhi Singh's counsel to file a rejoinder in the matter.It may be noted that in her application, filed through Advocates Man Bahadur Singh and Anupam Dwivedi, Singh has claimed that the Mosque committee is destroying the historical evidence related to the Hindu religion which is available at the disputed site and therefore, orders be passed to preserve the entire property.The application also states that that if the available evidence related to the Hindu religion is destroyed, then there will be difficulty in the disposal of the 2022 Suit as well and there will be a problem in reaching an appropriate judicial conclusion in the matter.It may be noted that the ASI is presently conducting a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi complex in Varanasi as per the July 21 order of the Varanasi District Judge to determine if the mosque was constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple. Today is the eighth consecutive day of the survey.On August 4, the Supreme Court refused to stop the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) from carrying out a survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque at Varanasi, except the 'wuzukhana' area where a 'shivling' was claimed to have been found last year.Taking on record an undertaking made on behalf of the ASI that no excavation would be done at the site and no damage will be caused to the structure, the Court allowed the survey to take place.The Court ordered thus while disposing of a petition filed by Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee (which manages the Gyanvapi Mosque at Varanasi) challenging Allahabad High Court order (of August 3) which permitted the ASI survey.On July 21, Varanasi District Judge directed the Director of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a “scientific survey” of the Gyanvapi mosque premises except for the area that was sealed earlier (wuzukhana) to find out if the same has been built over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple. This order was upheld by the Allahabad HC on August 3.

'It Will Cause Hindrance To Muslims In Performing Religious Acts': Mosque Committee In Varanasi Court Opposing Plea To 'Preserve' Gyanvapi

Sparsh Upadhyay

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