Anjuman Masjid Arrangement Committee has received a big blow from Allahabad High Court. The High Court has refused to stay the puja that started again after 30 years in the basement of Vyas ji in the Gyanvapi complex of Varanasi.
On January 30, orders were issued by the District Court on behalf of the Mosque Committee to resume worship in the basement of Vyas ji. Soon after the court order, the district administration of Varanasi opened the road leading to the basement of Vyas ji and arranged for a priest appointed in consultation with the Kashi Temple Trust to resume worship at the temple.
The mosque committee had approached the Supreme Court the same night against starting the puja in the basement of Vyas ji, but they were disappointed there. The Supreme Court advised the mosque committee to submit an appeal before the Allahabad High Court. After being disappointed with the Supreme Court, the Mosque Committee appealed to the Allahabad High Court. Earlier, lawyer Vishnu Jain had filed a caveat in the Allahabad High Court on behalf of the Hindu side. Therefore, on 1 February, Allahabad High Court had fixed the hearing for Friday 2 February.
At the beginning of the hearing, Allahabad High Court started hearing the arguments of the Mosque Committee. After this the arguments of the Hindu side were heard. The lawyers appearing on behalf of the Mosque Committee could not counter the arguments of the lawyers from the Hindu side. The lawyers of the Hindu side were successful in proving before the Allahabad High Court that in 1993, the then Samajwadi Party government had stopped the puja in the basement of Vyas ji by a verbal order. The lawyers of the Hindu side informed the court that the government had issued verbal orders to the district administration to stop the puja on the basis of speculations. The reason for stopping the puja was not because of any tension, objection or obstruction in Varanasi, but only the speculation. The lawyers from the Hindu side also stated that despite the temple being demolished by Aurangzeb, Vyas ji’s family had been worshiping at the same place for centuries.
The lawyers of the Mosque Committee had no valid counter argument to counter the arguments of the lawyers of the Hindu side. The High Court issued a notice to all the concerned parties in this case to present their views in detail and fixed the next hearing of the case on 6 February. The Muslim side strongly told the High Court several times that the puja should be banned till the next hearing. The court did not agree to this. The mosque committee may once again approach the Supreme Court against the puja that started in the basement of Vyas ji.
