HC allows suits seeking restoration of temple at Gyanvapi
The News Freedom
Allahabad, December 19
In a significant development, the Allahabad High Court on Tuesday dismissed a series of petitions filed by the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee and the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board, the entities managing the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi. These petitions challenged the maintainability of a decades-old civil suit seeking the restoration of a temple claimed to be present beneath the mosque complex.
The Hindu side, represented by five plaintiffs, contends that the Gyanvapi mosque stands on the grounds of an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishwanath. Their 1991 lawsuit seeks the removal of the mosque and restoration of the temple.
Dismissing petitions filed by the mosque management, the court declared the 1991 suit “maintainable,” meaning it can proceed through legal channels. This ruling bypasses a key hurdle the Hindu side faced – the Places of Religious Worship Act, 1991, which generally prohibits altering the status of religious sites as they existed on India’s independence day in 1947.
Underlining the gravity of the matter, the court instructed the Varanasi lower court to expedite the hearing process and conclude it within six months. This fast-tracked timeline signals the court’s recognition of the sensitive nature of the dispute and its desire for a swift resolution.
Key points:
- Court allows Hindu lawsuit seeking temple restoration beneath Gyanvapi mosque.
- Places of Worship Act deemed inapplicable due to the nature of the dispute.
- Mosque complex cannot have dual religious character, original identity needs to be determined.
- Lower court tasked with completing hearing within six months.