"Religious Turmoil: Varanasi Mosque vs. Hindu Prayers - Inside the Controversy!"

 

 

In Varanasi, members of the Muslim community protested on Thursday against a court ruling that allowed Hindu puja rituals inside the 'Vyas Tehkhana' of the Gyanvapi Mosque complex. Following prayers at the mosque, protesters expressed their concerns, stating that there is insufficient evidence to support the claim that the Vyas family owned land within the mosque complex.

Earlier in the day, the Masjid Intezamia Committee of the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi filed a revision petition in the Allahabad High Court challenging the Varanasi District Court's decision to permit Hindus to conduct prayers within the southern cellar of the mosque.

The committee's petition seeks a halt to the Varanasi court's order, citing pending considerations regarding the suit's admissibility under Order 7, Rule 11. They argue that granting prayer rights is premature without a decision on this matter.

In response to the court's decision, Akhlaq Ahmed, representing the Muslim side, criticized the oversight of crucial reports and historical decisions favoring their stance. He pointed out the absence of evidence presented by the Hindu side to support pre-1993 prayers and the lack of idols in the location.

The Gyanvapi Mosque comprises four cellars in its basement, one of which remains under the possession of the Vyas family, who historically resided there. The family petitioned for access to the cellar to resume their hereditary puja rituals.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), conducted at the court's direction for a related case, suggested that the mosque was built during Aurangzeb's reign atop the remnants of a Hindu temple.