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Fresh petition seeks permission to worship ‘Shivling’ found at Gyanvapi

On Monday, the court had ordered district authorities to “seal” the place inside the Gyanvapi Mosque after Hindu group’s lawyers claimed that a 'Shivling’ was found
Last Updated 18 May 2022, 16:31 IST

A fresh application was filed on Wednesday with a Varanasi court seeking permission to worship at a sealed place inside the contentious Gyanvapi mosque premises. The petition sought permission to worship the ‘Shivling’ purportedly found inside the premises during a court-ordered survey. It also asked for another survey in the basement to ascertain “more proof” of prior existence of a temple there.

The application, moved by Rekha Pathak, Manju Vyas and Sita Sahu, also sought removal of debris from the basement to see if there was anything there. According to the lawyers representing the petitioners, the court was likely to hear the application on Thursday.

The Uttar Pradesh government lawyer also moved court seeking a directive to authorities to remove the toilets from near where the 'Shivling' was allegedly found.

Meanwhile Ajai Kumar Mishra, the advocate commissioner who had led the videography and survey work inside the mosque but was removed by the court for “leaking” survey information, said he was “betrayed” by one of the survey commission members. “I was betrayed by the person in whom I had reposed my trust,” he said, apparently referring to Vishan Singh who replaced him (suggest removal as there is no implication other than the fact that Singh replaced Mishra).

The court order came after a few representatives of the Hindu group had divulged some of the survey findings to the press.

On Tuesday, the court had granted two-day extension for submission of the survey report.

The court had ordered a videography and survey inside the mosque premises on a petition seeking permission for daily worship at the Shringar Gauri temple, which was allegedly situated inside the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi Mosque (please clarify if it is only Gyanvapi or temple and mosque together) premises.

On Monday, the court had ordered district authorities to “seal” the place inside the Gyanvapi Mosque after Hindu group’s lawyers claimed that a 'Shivling’ was found there during the survey which concluded on Monday.

According to lawyers representing the Hindus, the ‘Shivling’ was found in the well opposite to the mosque and its water was used for ‘wuzu’ (Islamic way of cleansing body parts before prayers).

The lawyers representing the Muslims, however, refuted the claim saying that what was being called a 'Shivling’ was in fact a “fountain”. They also claimed that the Varanasi court did not hear their side before passing the order to seal the place.

The Gyanvapi mosque, adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, has been the bone of contention between the Hindu and Muslim communities for the past few decades. Since the Supreme Court’s decision on Ram Temple in Ayodhya, there has been renewed clamour by saffron outfits to “take back” the Kashi Vishwanath Temple premises.

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(Published 18 May 2022, 16:31 IST)

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