Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court has rejected the argument of the Gyanvapi mosque committee that the civil suit filed by Hindu women worshippers is not maintainable under the Places of Worship Act of 1991 and the Central Waqf Act of 1995, besides allowing the case to continue in the local Varanasi court.
The petition filed by the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid (AIM) Committee and the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Waqf Board had previously been dismissed by the District Judge of Varanasi.
The civil suit, filed by Rakhi Singh and nine others, including five women, in the Varanasi court sought the regular worship of Shringar Gauri in the Gyanvapi mosque, a proposition that has sparked significant controversy. The Allahabad High Court heard the arguments and reserved its decision on December 23, 2022.
The dispute surrounding the Gyanvapi mosque has been ongoing since April 2021, when the Varanasi court directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a comprehensive survey of the mosque complex. This order was in response to a suit seeking the restoration of a temple at the Gyanvapi mosque site.
However, the AIM and the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board challenged the Varanasi court's order, leading the high court to issue a stay in September 2021. This stay has been extended multiple times during the ongoing hearings.
With the Allahabad High Court's dismissal of the AIM Committee and the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Waqf Board's plea, the civil suit will now proceed in the Varanasi court. The case will continue to be closely watched as it deals with the contentious issue of the right to worship inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex.