On Tuesday, the Allahabad High Court granted the Gyanvapi Masjid committee one month to file a counter affidavit against a plea challenging a Varanasi court order that denied a directive for the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to survey the mosque’s ‘wazukhana’. The court has scheduled the next hearing for August 14.
The order came in response to a revision petition filed by Rakhi Singh, one of the plaintiffs in the Shringar Gauri Worshipping suit. Singh’s petition asserts that a survey of the ‘wazukhana’ area is essential for justice. She contended that the Varanasi district judge’s October 21, 2023, decision failed to exercise the jurisdiction granted by law to mandate an ASI survey of the ‘wazukhana’, where devotees perform ritual ablutions before offering ‘namaz’.
Representing the petitioners, advocates Saurabh Tiwari and Amitabh Trivedi argued before the court that an ASI survey of the ‘wazukhana’ is necessary to determine the religious character of the entire property. They emphasized that understanding the historical and religious significance of the ‘wazukhana’ is crucial for resolving ongoing disputes.
The court’s decision to grant the Gyanvapi Masjid committee additional time to respond reflects the complexity and sensitivity of the matter. As the next hearing approaches, the involved parties prepare for further legal deliberations to address the contentious issue surrounding the Gyanvapi Masjid’s ‘wazukhana’.
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