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Seal Gyanvapi to protect ‘Hindu symbols’: New pleas filed in UP
The PIL sought directions to the state government and the district administration to seal the entire Gyanvapi mosque
Hindu parties in the Gyanvapi dispute filed two petitions before the Allahabad high court and the Varanasi district court on Wednesday, asking the authorities to seal the mosque and secure the entire complex, a day before the high court is set to deliver its verdict on a controversial survey of the premises.
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The public interest litigation (PIL) in the Allahabad high court was filed by Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh (VVSS) international president Jitendra Singh Visen, Rakhi Singh, the first petitioner in the Shringar Gauri-Gyanvapi dispute, and others.
The PIL sought directions to the state government and the district administration to seal the entire Gyanvapi mosque so that “no damage can be done by non-Hindus to Hindu sign or symbol which were found during an earlier survey”.
“The state government and district administration may be directed to restrain the non-Hindus in the old temple area till disposal of suits pending in the learned district judge court, Varanasi regarding Gyanvapi premises,” the petition added.
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The petition – which said it was being filed to save the centuries-old idols and deities in the premises – is not likely to be listed before Friday.
“The PIL was filed on Wednesday and was allotted filing/receiving No. 75578/2023 by the registry of the high court,” said Saurabh Tiwari, counsel for the petitioners.
In the other application, Rakhi Singh urged the court of the district judge, Varanasi, to secure the entire Gyanvapi complex in order to protect signs and symbols found during a controversial exercise ordered by a local court inside the Gyanvapi premises in May 2022. On the last day of this contentious survey, the Hindu side claimed it had discovered a shivling, which the Muslim side said was a regular structure and part of a ritual ablution fountain. The area is currently sealed on orders from the Supreme Court.
The district court fixed August 4 for the next hearing.
In the application filed through counsel Manbahadur Singh and Anupam Dwivedi, Singh alleged that people associated with Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee — which manages the Gyanvapi mosque – tried to delete or wipe out the symbols or signs of “followers of sanatana (dharma) present in Gyanvapi”.
“Several important signs/symbols were found during the survey of the mosque last year (in May 2022). These are very important evidence. We filed the application in the court, urging the court to secure the entire Gyanvapi premises in order to preserve all sign or symbols,” said Dwivedi.
Eklaque Ahmad, a counsel for AIMC, said, “So far, we haven’t got a copy of the application. After receiving the copy of the application, we will go through it and file an objection in the court...” “The allegations (by the plaintiff) are baseless,” he added.
SM Yasin, joint secretary of AIMC, too, refuted the allegations, calling them bizarre and baseless. “After receiving the copy of the application, our legal team will look at it and will file an objection in the court,” Yasin said.
The development came just a day before the high court was scheduled to pronounce its verdict on a controversial survey of the premises, to be conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India, ordered by the Varanasi district court last month.
The Gyanvapi dispute dates back decades, but on July 21, while hearing a petition by four Hindu women, the Varanasi district court directed ASI to conduct a comprehensive survey, using dating, excavation and ground penetrating radar (GPR) techniques, of the plot where the mosque stands, next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple. The judge, however, excluded a section – where the Hindu side claims a Shivling was found and the Muslims say the structure is part of a fountain – that has remained sealed since a Supreme Court order in May 2022.
On July 24, the mosque committee rushed to the top court against the order, arguing that it was not given adequate time to challenge the order. An apex court bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud stayed till 5pm on July 26 the Varanasi district court’s order, observing that some “breathing time” must be granted to the petitioners to move the high court.
ASI carried out the survey for about four-and-a-half hours on July 24 before it was stopped by the apex court the same day.
The new petitions are set to add to the simmering tensions around the Gyanvapi dispute, which acquired a political dimension earlier this week when chief minister Yogi Adityanath appeared to back the Hindu side and said that a proposal should come from the Muslim side to correct a historical mistake. The administration should remain vigilant to avoid any communal flare-up.A
