Lucknow: There will be an important hearing in the Allahabad High Court on Friday on the petitions filed in the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Gyanvapi Masjid dispute case. The single bench of Justice Prakash Padia will start the hearing at 12 noon. In today’s hearing, the first arguments will be presented on behalf of the self-styled god Visheshwar i.e. the Hindu side.
The argument of the Hindu side could not be completed at the last hearing. First the Hindu side will finish its remaining arguments. After that both the Muslim parties will present their arguments. The court has to decide whether the suit filed in the Varanasi District Court 31 years ago in 1991 can be heard or not.
The Muslim side says that this suit cannot be pursued under the Places of Worship Act 1991. Under this, no change can be made in the nature of any other religious place of the country except Ayodhya. Under this act, the status of the religious place as it was on 15 August 1947 at the time of independence of the country will remain the same.
In the Kashi Vishwanath Temple-Gyanvapi Masjid dispute, the Masjid’s Arrangement Committee and the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board are Muslim parties. A total of six petitions have been filed on behalf of both the parties. After the completion of the debate of the Muslim parties, the side of the UP government will also be kept if there is time left.
When was the first suit filed in this case
Gyanvapi Mosque is situated near Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi. The operation of the mosque is done by the Anjuman Arrangement Committee. The Muslim community offers prayers in the mosque. In the year 1991, an application has been filed in the court of Civil Judge of Varanasi on behalf of the self-styled god Vishweshwar Bhagwan.
It has been claimed in this application that the place where the Gyanvapi Masjid is located, earlier used to be a temple and Shringar Gauri was worshipped. But the Mughal rulers occupied and demolished the temple and built the mosque. The application demands that Gyanvapi should be handed over to Hindus and worship of Ringar Gauri should be allowed. Muslim parties Anjuman-e-Intzamia Committee and UP Central Sunni Waqf Board have opposed the application of self-styled godman Vishweshwar. It has been argued on their behalf that this petition is not maintainable under the Places of Worship Act made in 1991.
When was the second suit filed?
Meanwhile, in 1999, a second application was filed on behalf of the self-styled godman Vishweshwar, in which it was said that according to the ruling of the Supreme Court, in any case, the stay ie stay order cannot be extended for more than six months. The trial court here did not pass any stay order in the matter for a long time, so it is over and it should be handed over to the Hindu side.
Against this both the Muslim parties filed an application in the Allahabad High Court. The High Court has reserved the decision on this application on 15 March 2021. That is, till now there have been 4 petitions in the High Court in this matter.
