The Varanasi district court on Monday reserved the order until tomorrow after the arguments were completed in the hearing of the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri temple case. District Judge Ajay Kumar Vishvesh heard arguments from both the Hindu and Muslim sides.
“The hearing was completed and the decision has been kept reserved. The next date of hearing will be given. We had given an application to provide us with a CD and photographs of the report submitted by the commission”, Advocate Vishnu Jain, representing the Hindu side informed the media.
The Hindu side has sought permission for daily worship of Shringar Gauri in the Gyanvapi complex and also permission for the worship of ‘Shivling’ found in the ‘wuzukhana’ of the mosque. They have also sought the removal of debris in the passage leading to the room under ‘Shivling’.
On the other hand, the Muslim side argued that the court should first hear the points related to the survey report of the Gyanvapi mosque complex and the objections received on it. Their counsel argued that the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 was not applicable in this case. As per the provisions of the Act, the nature of a religious place will be preserved, as it was on August 15, 1947.
The hearing began today in Varanasi court after the Supreme Court said it would not interfere with the Gyanvapi mosque survey and transferred the case to the lower court while noting the “complexities and sensitivities involved in the matter” would require a “more senior and experienced hand”.
Only 23 people, including 19 counsels and four petitioners, were allowed inside the courtroom during the hearing today, police said.
The bench said District Judge should decide the maintainability of the civil suit in the Gyanvapi-Kashi Vishwanath on priority as sought by Committee of Management Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Varanasi.
Earlier in the day, a lawyer filed an intervention application in the Supreme Court seeking impleadment in the Gyanvapi mosque case stating that a mosque constructed on temple land cannot be a mosque.
The application was filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay who had earlier filed a petition challenging the Constitutional validity of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 (Act).
On May 19, the Supreme Court directed that the Civil Suit pertaining to the Gyanvapi dispute be transferred from the court of Civil Judge Senior Division Varanasi to the court of District Judge for further proceedings. The District Judge, Varanasi heard the matter today, accordingly.
