Allahabad High Court refuses to stay ‘puja’ in Gyanvapi mosque cellar

Tribune News Service

Satya Prakash

New Delhi, February 2

The Allahabad High Court on Friday refused to stay the ongoing “puja” in Gyanvapi mosque’s southern cellar (known as Vyas Ji ka Tahakhana), saying the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, which manages the mosque, has not challenged the January 17 order appointing the District Magistrate as a receiver.

Next hearing on Feb 6

• Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee had moved HC hours after SC refused to hear its plea against a Varanasi court’s order allowing ‘puja’ in mosque cellar
• Holding that Jan 17 order appointing DM as receiver had not been challenged by committee, HC asked it to amend appeal and fixed next hearing on Feb 6

Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal asked the committee to amend its appeal against the January 31 order of the Varanasi District Judge, allowing “puja” at the southern cellar of the mosque, and posted the matter for hearing on February 6.

Justice Agarwal asked the UP Government to maintain law and order even as state’s Advocate General Ajay Mishra assured the HC law and order shall be maintained by the District Magistrate pursuant to the order passed by the District Judge, Varanasi, allowing “puja” to be offered to the deities in the southern cellar of the mosque premises.

On behalf of the Hindu side — the plaintiff before the Varanasi district court — advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain raised a preliminary objection regarding maintainability of the appeal on the ground that the basic order dated January 17, 2024, had not been challenged.

Senior counsel SFA Naqvi, representing the committee, submitted he would file the amendment application amending the appeal and laying challenge to the January 17 order passed by the District Judge on the application moved by the plaintiff (Hindu side). “On a joint request of both sides, the HC has posted the matter for further hearing on February 6,” Jain told The Tribune.

The committee had on Thursday moved the HC against the Varanasi court order allowing a Hindu priest to offer “puja” in the mosque’s cellar hours after the Supreme Court refused to intervene and advised them to approach the HC.

The committee had sought urgent hearing of the matter, following which the top court asked it to approach the HC against the Varanasi court’s January 31 order.

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