Allahabad HC denies relief to Gyanvapi Mosque Committee, says puja inside complex to continue

The Allahabad High Court declined to grant relief to the Gyanvapi mosque committee, which had challenged a court order permitting Hindus to perform puja in the southern cellar of the mosque complex in Varanasi.

The dispute arose after a district judge's ruling allowed Hindu devotees to conduct worship in the sealed basement of the Gyanvapi mosque. The mosque committee, seeking intervention, approached the Allahabad High Court after the Supreme Court redirected them from filing the plea with the district court.

During the proceedings, senior advocates representing the mosque committee argued against the Hindu side's demand for worship space in one of the four cellars, specifically the Vyas Ka Tekhana (cellar) located in the basement. They claimed that the Hindu side's application was approved on January 17 when a District Magistrate was appointed as a "receiver" for that portion of the mosque.

On the contrary, Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side, opposed the mosque committee's petition, emphasizing that it did not challenge the January 17 order but contested the decision on January 31, allowing puja within the sealed basement of the Gyanvapi mosque.

Justice Rohit Ranjan Aggarwal, presiding over the single-bench hearing, ruled against providing relief to the mosque committee, citing their failure to challenge the January 17 order and allowing the district court's decision to stand. The court also instructed the Advocate General to maintain law and order within and outside the Gyanvapi mosque premises.

This development unfolds against the backdrop of four women petitioners moving the Supreme Court, seeking excavation and a survey of the sealed section of the mosque. The plea came after the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) report suggested the existence of a large Hindu temple predating the construction of the Gyanvapi mosque.