Varanasi: In a crucial ruling, a Varanasi court on Friday rejected a petition filed by the Hindu side, which sought to stop Muslims from offering namaz on the roof of the Gyanvapi Masjid’s cellar (tehkhana). The petition was filed by Jan Udghosh, a social organization from Lucknow, along with Rakhi Singh and others, claiming that the roof was structurally weak and could not support the weight of those praying, reported The Hindu.
The court of Civil Judge Senior Division, Hitesh Agarwal, not only dismissed this plea but also turned down a request for the district magistrate to carry out repairs in the cellar, which the petitioners argued was suffering from water leakage. However, the court allowed the continuation of Hindu worship in the cellar, a practice that was previously permitted.
The Muslim petitioners opposed the plea, arguing that they had been offering prayers on the roof for many years without any issues. The Hindu petitioners, dissatisfied with the court’s decision, are now planning to take the matter to the district court.
The case is part of a larger dispute over the Gyanvapi Masjid complex, where both Hindus and Muslims have been observing their respective religious practices under close scrutiny. In a related case, the Additional District Judge Awadhesh Kumar is currently hearing a petition regarding the participation of some Hindus in the Urs and Chadar Poshi rituals at a mausoleum within the mosque complex. This petition was filed by Mukhtar Ahmed, a resident of Lohta, against a lower court’s decision.
The court also has another case pending concerning the Kriti Washeshwar Mahadev temple located at Hartirth, which is scheduled for a hearing in the Civil Judge Junior Division court.
This ongoing legal battle reflects the complex nature of religious tensions in the region, with both communities seeking legal redress to protect their religious practices within the disputed site.
