The Allahabad High Court declined the petition brought forth by Muslim parties contesting a Varanasi court’s decision permitting Hindu groups to conduct prayers and rituals in the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi Mosque. Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal delivered the ruling after the single-judge reserved judgment on February 15.
The plea was initiated by the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee in opposition to a district court order from January 31, which sanctioned Hindu religious activities in the mosque’s southern cellar.
This order came amid an ongoing civil court dispute concerning conflicting assertions regarding the religious nature of the Gyanvapi compound. One of the contentions from the Hindu side is that Hindu prayers were previously conducted in the mosque’s cellar by the family of Somnath Vyas until 1993, purportedly halted by the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led government.
The Muslim party disputes this claim, affirming continuous possession of the mosque. The primary disagreement concerning the Gyanvapi compound centers on the Hindu argument that a segment of an ancient temple on the site was demolished during Aurangzeb’s rule in the 17th century, thus demanding the right to worship within the complex. Conversely, the Muslim party contends that the mosque predates Aurangzeb’s era and has undergone alterations over time.
