In a significant ruling on the Gyanvapi case, the Allahabad High Court has dismissed all pleas from the mosque committee contesting civil suits aimed at reinstating a temple at the mosque premises. The court directed the Varanasi court to conclude the hearing of a specific civil suit filed in 1991 within six months.
The case pertains to the Gyanvapi mosque, situated near the renowned Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi. The High Court was reviewing five petitions – three from the Gyanvapi mosque committee and two from the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board. Among these, three petitions questioned the legitimacy of a lawsuit filed in 1991 before the Varanasi court.
The 1991 lawsuit, filed on behalf of the deity Adi Vishveswar Virajman, sought control of the disputed area and permission for religious observance there. The Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee and UP Sunni Central Waqf Board challenged this lawsuit, contending that it doesn’t comply with the Places of Worship Act (Special Provisions) Act of 1991. This act restricts changes to the nature of religious places as they existed on August 15, 1947.
The petitioners of the 1991 suit argued that the Gyanvapi dispute predates Independence and therefore doesn’t fall under the jurisdiction of the Places of Worship Act.
Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal, after hearing arguments from both sides, declared today that the 1991 suit is legitimate and not prohibited by the Places of Religious Worship Act, 1991.
The court clarified that the mosque compound could have either a Muslim or Hindu identity, and this determination cannot be made at the initial stages of the case. It directed the trial court to promptly adjudicate the suit within a span of six months, acknowledging its impact on two significant communities in the country.
The suit currently pending in the Varanasi court seeks to restore an ancient temple at the disputed site where the mosque stands, asserting that the mosque is a part of the temple.
