NEW DELHI, May 7: The videography and survey of some areas outside Gyanvapi Masjid in the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex in Varanasi was stopped on Saturday after the team of lawyers were denied entry inside the mosque.
Police was forced to resort to a mild lathi charge after some local Muslim population staged demonstration opposing videography of the mosque premises and demanded that they be allowed to enter the mosque to offer the afternoon Namaaz. The situation was soon brought under control after police managed to disperse the protesters.
A Varanasi court had ordered the continuation of videography and survey of areas outside Gyanvapi Masjid earlier on Saturday morning after the exercise started on Friday after the afternoon prayers was stopped abruptly. Heavy police force was stationed in the area after a court-appointed official and a team of lawyers carried out an inspection near the area on Friday.
Inspection of the mosque’s outer periphery was carried out after Friday prayers. Heavy force was on the ground during the inspection by a court-appointed commissioner and a team of lawyers. The inspection was carried out on orders of a local court on a petition filed by five women last year. The petitioners have sought unrestricted, yearlong access to Maa Shringar Gauri site, located at the back of the mosque’s western wall. The site is currently opened once a year for rituals and prayers.
The petition by the five women has also sought permission to pray to other “visible and invisible deities within the old temple complex”. The local court has directed authorities to conduct inspection and videography of the site and submit a report by May 10.
The caretaker committee of the Gyanvapi mosque and its lawyers have said they are opposed to any videography inside the mosque. The caretakers say the court’s order has not allowed videography inside the mosque, but lawyers on the other side claim they have the court’s go ahead.
The counsel of the mosque arrangement committee, Abhay Nath Yadav, however, questioned the impartiality of the court-appointed commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra and had moved the court for his removal.
On Saturday, the court ordered resumption of videography and survey at Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex. On the matter of removal of Ajay Kumar Mishra, the judge (senior division) has asked the court commissioner and the plaintiff to present their sides in writing, in the next hearing on June 9.
Meanwhile, reacting to the court’s order, AIMIM chief alleged that the order “is opening the path for the bloodshed of Rath Yatra and anti-Muslim violence of 1980s-1990s”.
Asaduddin Owaisi tweeted, “This order to survey Kashi’s Gyanvapi Masjid is open violation of 1991 Places of Worship Act, which prohibits conversion of religious places.”
The Supreme Court in Ayodhya judgement had said the Act protects “secular features of Indian polity which is 1 of basic features of Constitution. Unfortunate that the Court is blatantly defying the SC. By this order, the Court is opening the path for the bloodshed of Rath Yatra and anti-Muslim violence of 1980s-1990s,” Owaisi said.
Responding to Owaisi’s remark, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari slammed the AIMIM chief over “double standards.” Speaking on the Gyanvapi Masjid controversy, Tiwari said, “Owaisi has waved the Constitution many times and has said one should go by the Constitution. But today, when there is an order of a court regarding the Gyanvapi mosque, then we are seeing statements from him on this issue, now where has his (talks on) Constitution gone?” “Owaisi and people like him are people with double standard,” Tiwari said.
Videography of the Gyanvapi mosque complex was ordered on a plea filed by Delhi-based Rakhi Singh and others demanding permission for daily worship and performing rituals at Shringar Gauri, Lord Ganesha, Lord Hanuman and Nandi located on the outer wall of the Gyanvapi mosque. They had moved the court with their plea on April 18, 2021. After hearing the plea, the court of Varanasi’s Civil Judge (Senior Division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar ordered videography of the Shringar Gauri temple in the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi mosque complex and other places after Eid and before May 10. The videography and survey inside the mosque’s premises were then scheduled to be held on May 6 and May 7.
(Manas Dasgupta)
