‘Gyanvapi-Shivalinga’ Supreme Court to Take Up Matter on Friday

Gyanvapi Moaque, Varanasi, Vishnu Shankar Jain, Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of India Has Agreed to take up the matter of Gyanvapi Mosque on 11 November at 3pm. Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain specifically mentioned the matter before Supreme Court seeking an extension of interim order of protecting Adideshvara Shivlinga.

A Supreme Court bench comprising of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice Hima Kohli and Justice JB Pardiwala said it will constitute a bench to hear the matter.

“We will constitute a bench for hearing tomorrow at 3:00 pm itself,” the supreme court said.

Mosque-Shivalinga case

On May 17, the Supreme Court by an interim order directed to Varanasi District Administration to protect the area where the ‘Shivlinga’ was found and granted access to Muslims for namaz till maintainability of the suit is decided by the Varanasi court.

On May 20, the Supreme Court had ordered the transfer of the case related to worship at Gyanvapi mosque from the civil judge to the District Judge, Varanasi. It had said that District Judge should decide the maintainability of the civil suit in the Gyanvapi-Kashi Vishwanath on priority as sought by the Committee of Management Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Varanasi.

The Varanasi district court in September had held that the suit was not barred under the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. Varanasi district court had dismissed the plea of the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee that manages Gyanvapi mosque questioning the maintainability of the suit filed by Hindu women.

Supreme court has seized of an appeal filed by the Committee challenging an order of Allahabad High Court permitting a court-appointed commissioner to inspect, conduct a survey and videography of the Gyanvapi mosque to which Hindus and Muslims have laid claim for the right to worship.