The Supreme Court on Monday refused to stay the Allahabad High Court’s order while allowing the Hindu priest nominated by the Kashi Vishwanath Trust to continue offering pooja at the Vyas Tehkana, or the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi.
The Supreme Court observed that while the Muslim community continues to perform ‘namaz’ inside Gyanvapi premises after the orders dated January 17 and January 31 (which allowed the puja), and since the Hindu side’s puja is carried out in the Tehkhana, it is appropriate to maintain status quo at the moment.
“At this stage, bearing in mind that namaz is being offered unhindered post the impugned order and the offering of pooja by a Hindu priest is confined to the area of the tehkhana, it would be appropriate to maintain the status quo and allow both sides to carry on with their religious observances,” a CJI Chandrachud-led bench ordered today.
The court has further ordered that the status quo shall remain undisturbed by either of the parties without the leave of the Supreme Court.
CJI Chandrachud also sought clarification from the parties, asking if he was correct in saying that the entrance to the cellar does not affect the namaz going on in the mosque on the north side stairs.
Expressed Apprehension
The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee expressed apprehension of the Gyanvapi Mosque being taken over bit by bit.
Senior Advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, while referring to the order allowing ‘Pooja’ in ‘Vyas Tehkana’, said, “An overwhelming case is made out to stay this order..the fact that any pooja was conducted in the cellar is also an averment..now there are three applications pending for other areas to do things..the serious apprehension is that bit by bit we will lose the entire mosque.”.
Ahmadi further referred to the order, saying it was an ‘egregious order’. “With all due respect, please see the order. They are allowing the puja to happen within the mosque. We have serious apprehension,” he added.
In February, the Allahabad High Court dismissed the Gyanvapi mosque management committee’s appeals challenging the Varanasi district judge’s order that allowed puja in the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi masjid complex.
Also Read: https://foej.in/gyanvapi-muslims-side-plea-rejected-by-allahabad-high-court/: Pooja to Continue at Gyanvapi, Supreme Court RulesOn January 17, the district magistrate was appointed as the receiver of the ‘Vyas Tehkhana’ or southern cellar cellar of the mosque, and on January 31, the Varanasi District Court granted permission to priest Shailendra Kumar Pathak to carry pooja.
Shortly after the January 31 order of the Varanasi district court allowing Hindu devotees to worship in ‘Vyas Tehkana’, the pooja began.
Pathak had submitted before the District Court that his maternal grandfather, priest Somnath Vyas, conducted prayers in the Gyanvapi cellar until 1993, when it was shut down by the Uttar Pradesh government.
