The Allahabad High Court has dismissed a plea by the Anjuman Intezamia Committee, representing the Muslim side in the Gyanvapi Shrinagar Gauri case, challenging the maintainability of a suit filed by Hindu worshippers. The suit, filed by five Hindu women, sought permission for daily worship of Hindu deities inside the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi.
The court’s decision upholds the September 12, 2022 order of the Varanasi court, which deemed the suit by the Hindu women to be maintainable. Last year in December, the Allahabad High Court reserved its judgment after hearing arguments from both parties.
The Anjuman Masjid Committee had approached the High Court in October 2022, following the dismissal of its plea by the Varanasi court. The committee’s plea challenged the maintainability of the suit filed by the Hindu women under Order 7 Rule 11 of the Civil Procedure Code (CPC). However, the Varanasi District Judge, Ajay Krishna Vishwesha, ruled that the suit was not barred by the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, the Waqf Act 1995, or the U.P. Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Act, 1983, as claimed by the Anjuman Masjid Committee.
The Gyanvapi mosque has been a subject of dispute between Hindu and Muslim groups. The case pertains to the claim made by Hindu worshippers seeking the right to perform daily worship of Hindu deities inside the mosque. The court’s decision has implications for the ongoing legal battle over the ownership and control of the Gyanvapi mosque.
Source name: Business Standard