Muslims staged a bandh yesterday against the permission for puja at Varanasi’s Vyas Mandapam. The case related to this is coming up for hearing in Uttar Pradesh Allahabad High Court on 6th.
Gyanwabi Masjid is located adjacent to Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. It is alleged to have been built by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb after demolishing a portion of the temple. The Vyas Mandapam is situated in the basement (basement) of the south-eastern part near Osukana of the mosque complex. This small mandapam is accessible through Vishwanath temple gate no-4.
The Varanasi court has now given permission to continue the daily pujas that had been suspended here since 1993. Subsequently, Muslims protested against the puja that began on January 31.
The Muslims of Varanasi yesterday stopped the shop and conducted a peaceful bandh. Security was strengthened in this regard. Shops were closed in major Muslim areas of Varanasi such as Talmandi, Sarai Hatta, Beeli Kothi and Madanpura.
Meanwhile, the Anjuman Inthasamiya Masjid Trust of Gyanwabi has filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the permission given for the puja in Vyas Mandapam. The Supreme Court refused to accept it and directed the Allahabad High Court to approach the matter. Because of this, the Allahabad High Court admitted the review petition of the Masjid Trust. Hearing on this petition is going to be held on 6th.
It was Sailender Kumar Pathak, daughter of the Vyas family, who had filed a case seeking an order to allow him to perform puja in the Vyas mandapam. Shailendra Kumar Pathak’s lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain said, “The court had ordered on January 17 to appoint the Varanasi Collector as the in-charge of Vyas Mandapam on our first petition. Muslims did not oppose this. Therefore, we are insisting to dismiss their reconsideration petition as Muslims cannot oppose the permission for puja granted to the 2nd petition on January 31.
Justice Ajay Kumar Viswes heard this permission case and the case related to Singara Gauri Amman darshan in the Varanasi Civil Court. He retired from his job yesterday. Thus, it is expected that the Vyas Mandapa Puja case will come up for trial after the appointment of a new judge.