'Status quo restored...' VHP welcomes Varanasi court order allowing Hindus to offer prayers at Gyanvapi mosque
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) welcomes a Varanasi district court order allowing Hindu prayers at 'Vyas Ka Tehkhana' within the Gyanvapi Mosque complex. The court directed the appointment of a priest for regular prayers, restoring the status quo.
FollowThe Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has expressed its satisfaction with the Varanasi district court's decision on Wednesday, permitting the Hindu side to offer prayers at 'Vyas Ka Tehkhana' within the Gyanvapi Mosque complex. The VHP views this ruling as a positive step and hopes it will pave the way for a swift resolution to the main suit.
Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side, conveyed to the media that the district administration has been given seven days to facilitate the necessary arrangements for prayers to commence. He emphasized that everyone will have the right to perform Puja. However, the Muslim side has indicated its intention to challenge the district court verdict in the high court.
The VHP explained the historical context, stating that the basement of the Gyanvapi structure was once a temple where regular prayers were conducted until 1993. In that year, the administration arbitrarily barricaded the area, preventing Hindus from accessing the temple and halting prayers and rituals. A suit was filed to restore the status quo, and the district magistrate of Varanasi was appointed as the property receiver. However, the order did not specify the restoration of prayers and rituals.
Alok Kumar, the International Working President of the Vishva Hindu Parishad, expressed satisfaction with the court's decision to appoint a priest to ensure regular prayers and rituals in the basement temple. He sees this as a restoration of the status quo and hopes it signifies a favourable outcome for Hindus in the main suit, reclaiming the Gyanvapi place for the Temple of Adi Visweshwara.
It is noteworthy that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) report, submitted to the Varanasi court on January 27, 2024, allegedly confirms that the Gyanvapi mosque was constructed after demolishing a Hindu temple in the 17th century. Jain claims the report mentions finding ancient scriptures in various languages and using pillars of the demolished temple in the mosque's construction. The report suggests the existence of a large Hindu temple before the mosque's construction during Aurangzeb's reign.
