The Gyanvapi management committee has swiftly approached the Allahabad High Court to contest a Varanasi court order permitting Hindu prayers in one of the cellars of the Gyanvapi mosque.
The mosque committee moved the high court on Thursday within hours of the Supreme Court refusing to hear its plea against the Varanasi district court's order and asking it to approach the Allahabad high court.
The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, represented by counsel S F A Naqvi, has urgently sought a hearing in response to the Varanasi court's decision.
In the filed appeal, the mosque committee argues that the Hindu side's suit is inherently barred by order 7 rule 11 of the Civil Procedure Code.
Naqvi emphasised that the purpose behind the Hindu suit is alleged to be the creation of controversy over the 'operational Gyanvapi mosque, where regular namaz is offered.
Simultaneously, the Hindu side filed a caveat on the matter, indicating their preparedness for any legal challenge.
The controversy revolves around a Varanasi court ruling that allows a Hindu priest nominated by the Kashi Vishwanath temple trust to perform prayers before idols in the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi mosque.
The petitioner, Shailendra Kumar Pathak, claimed that his grandfather conducted 'puja' there until December 1993 when it was abruptly halted by the administration.
Madan Mohan Yadav, the lawyer representing the Hindu side, asserted that the interruption in 'puja' occurred during the tenure of then Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, following the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992.
Following the Varanasi court's order, prayers were conducted in the southern cellar on Wednesday night, as confirmed by Kashi Vishwanath temple trust president Nagendra Pandey.
Pandey explained that the cellar was opened after 31 years, and arrangements were promptly made by the district administration to comply with the court's directives.
District Magistrate S Rajlingam affirmed, "I have complied with the court's order." Locals reported that after cleaning the cellar, an "aarti" was performed before the idols of Lakshmi and Ganesh.
Pandey stated that regular puja would now be conducted in the cellar, similar to the practices in the Kashi Vishwanath temple.
The temple trust president outlined the future plans, mentioning that 'puja' would be performed five times a day in Vyas Ji ka tahkhana, with 'raag-bhog' and 'aarti' of the deities.
A team of priests from the Kashi Vishwanath temple will be assigned to carry out the puja in adherence to the trust's duty schedule.
Pandey clarified that the Vyas family had relinquished the right to perform 'puja' in the cellar to the temple trust when the Kashi Vishwanath corridor was under construction, as per a prior agreement.
In response to these developments, the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee has called on Muslims to close their shops and businesses on Friday and offer special 'Juma' prayers.
Abdul Batin Nomani, the organisation's general secretary, issued an appeal stating, "Based on the decision of the Varanasi district judge, worship has started in the southern basement (Vyas cellar) of the Gyanvapi mosque."
Muslims nationwide have been urged to maintain peace and order, close businesses on February 2, and offer special prayers.
The appeal emphasises the importance of conducting Friday namaaz in the usual mosques and encourages simplicity in organising events during this period.
The legal tussle over the Gyanvapi mosque continues, with religious sentiments and legal complexities intertwining in a case that has garnered significant attention.
Notably, the Varanasi court's decision allowing Hindu prayers at Gyanvapi mosque follows closely after the 'pran pratishtha' ceremony of the Ram Lalla idol at Ayodhya's Ram Mandir, both being disputed sites similar to Ayodhya's Ram Janmabhoomi before the 2019 Supreme Court ruling.
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