Committee Urges Court to Reject Suit
The Anjuman Intezamia Masajid, the committee that manages the Gyanvapi mosque, urged the Varanasi district court on Monday to dismiss the petition of women seeking the right to worship Maa Shringar Gauri on the outer wall of the mosque complex, saying the women’s suit filed in “individual capacity” could not apply to their “prayer for all Hindus and Hindu religion followers”.
The matter will be heard next on July 4 when the mosque committee, which has challenged the maintainability of the suit, resumes its argument. While flagging what it called the “wrong rule” under which the suit had been filed, it also claimed that the petitioners did not provide details of a 1936 ruling on the Muslim right to offer namaz at the mosque.
Contesting the maintainability of the suit filed by five Hindu women, Abhay Nath Yadav, counsel for Anjuman Intezamia Masajid, said the petitioners have filed the suit in their individual capacity. “But after reading their entire suit, it is clear that they have made a prayer for all Hindus and Hindu religion followers. Such a suit cannot be filed in individual capacity. Such a matter is filed as a public suit. Also, before filing any public suit, one needs permission from the court. Hence, I argued that the suit of the five women should be dismissed,” he said.
In their petition, the women, he said, had referred to Deen Mohammad’s civil suit of 1936 and stated that 12 witnesses in that case had proved that Shringar Gauri and other deities were being worshipped there, that it was a temple.
“They have mentioned the statement of witnesses to strengthen their case, but they have not mentioned the order passed by the court in the case of Deen Mohammad… In the Deen Mohammad case, the judgment was that the mosque, its courtyard and its land were Wakf properties of Hanafi Muslims. Also, Muslims have the right to practice Urs and perform religious activities like offering namaz there… But they (petitioners) hide that important fact. I argued that in the court,” Yadav said.
He made his submissions over two hours in the court of District Judge Ajaya Krishna Vishvesha who is hearing the matter following directions from the Supreme Court.
“Our arguments have not been completed. The next date of hearing is July 4, and our arguments will continue on that date,” Yadav said.
District Government Counsel (Civil) Mahendra Prasad Pandey too said that the mosque committee counsel will continue arguments on July 4, the next date of hearing.
The counsel for the five women petitioners will then make their submission in support of the maintainability of their suit.
Meanwhile, a fast track court Monday listed for July 8 a petition seeking permission to worship a Shivling claimed to have been found in the Gyanvapi complex during a videography survey, and prevent the entry of Muslims there.
In the suit, the petitioner has also sought that the entire complex be turned over to Hindus.
Advocate Shivam Gaur filed the suit on behalf of Kiran Singh, international general secretary of the Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh.
Gaur said the court directed the mosque committee and other respondents to file their objections to the application. He said the hearing in the matter will take place on July 8.
Source: The Indian Express
