Varanasi,

15 Dec (HS): The Varanasi district court on Monday denied a request to replace

a piece of cloth knotted around the locked lock of the wuzukhana inside the

Gyanvapi mosque complex. Madan Mohan Yadav, attorney representing the Hindu

side in a mosque dispute, stated that District Judge Sanjeev Shukla denied the

appeal to change the cloth covering the lock of the shuttered wuzukhana

(ablution facility). According to Yadav, the judge stated that because the case

is pending before the Supreme Court, the district court lacks authority to make

an order on the subject. The Supreme Court is now considering arguments on the

Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.

According

to Yadav, the Supreme Court told the lower courts in December of last year that

no new cases should be accepted or orders issued that might influence the

proceedings in the Supreme Court while the matter is being considered. The

wuzukhana portion of the Gyanvapi mosque was shut on May 16-17, 2022, following

a court-ordered survey carried out by the Varanasi civil judge (senior

division) in line with Supreme Court orders. It is reported that the fabric

knotted around the lock has deteriorated over time. To avoid any adverse

incidents, the Hindu side submitted a petition on August 8 asking for

permission to replace it.

The

Gyanvapi complex, close to the Kashi Vishwanath temple, has been the site of a

long-running court battle between Hindu and Muslim factions over claims of a

temple building beneath the mosque.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi