Supreme Court Allows Cleaning Of Water Tank In Gyanvapi Mosque

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (January 16) allowed the cleaning of the wuzukhana (water tank) of the Gyanvapi mosque at Varanasi, where a shivling was claimed to have been found during a commission survey in May 2022.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandracuhd, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra allowed an application filed by the Hindu plaintiffs, who seek the right to worship the deities in the mosque premises. The application to clean the tank was not opposed by the Mosque management committee.

The plaintiffs sought to clean the tank citing the presence of dead fish inside it. The mosque committee also informed the bench that they have also filed a similar application before the Varanasi District Collector.

Disposing of the application filed by the plaintiffs, the Court directed that the cleaning should be carried out under the supervision of the Varanasi District Collector. Senior Advocate Madhavi Divan appeared for the plaintiffs. Senior Advocate Huzefa Ahmadi appeared for the mosque committee.

In May 2022, the Supreme Court had ordered to seal the 'wuzukhana' after a  'Shivlinga' was claimed to have been found there. The Court however clarified that the order will not obstruct the right of Muslim devotees to perform religious observances. Last year, the Supreme Court allowed an ASI survey of the mosque premises, which the plaintiffs sought to ascertain if the mosque was built over a pre-existing temple.

Last month, the Allahabad High Court dismissed the application filed by the Masjid committee to reject the plaint as barred by the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act 1991.

Case : Committee of Management Anjuman Intezemia Masajid Varanasi v. Rakhi Singh and others SLP(C) No. 9388/2022

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