Allahabad High Court junks plea against Hindu prayers at Gyanvapi cellar

Satya Prakash

New Delhi, February 26

Hindus can continue to offer prayers to the deities kept in the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi as the Allahabad HC on Monday dismissed Gyanvapi Mosque Committee’s petitions challenging the district court’s order in this regard, saying a citizen’s right to religion guaranteed by the Constitution can’t be arbitrarily taken away by the state.

“Article 25 of the Constitution of India grants freedom of religion. The Vyas family, which continued religious worship in the cellar, cannot be denied access by oral order,” Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal said in his judgment. “Considering the overall submissions advanced by the respective counsel of the parties and after analysing the material on record, I find that the appellant has not made out any case for interfering in the order dated January 17, 2024, and January 31, 2024, appointing the Varanasi CM as receiver and arranging to carry out worship and rituals in Vyas tehkhana (cellar) under his supervision by the priest, so appointed,” Justice Agarwal said.

Moreover, worship has already started at ‘Vyas tehkhana’ of the mosque adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple since February 1. Justice Agarwal said, dismissing the two appeals filed.