Gyanvapi mosque case: VHP demands court sanction for Puja in Wuzukhana area, calls for masjid relocation

File Photo

A top leader of the rightwing Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Sunday demanded that the disputed Wuzukhana area at the Gyanvapi mosque be allowed to be used for worship by the Hindu community.

Speaking to newswire ANI on Sunday, Alok Kumar urged the court to grant permission for the commencement of puja in the Wuzukhana area. Additionally, he appealed to the Muslim community to respectfully relocate the Gyanvapi mosque to an alternative location, handing over the original site to Hindus for the construction of a temple.

Kumar claimed that the ASI survey findings leave no doubt that the mosque stands on the ruins of a Hindu temple. The VHP has presented two demands based on these findings - the initiation of puja in the Wuzukhana area with court approval and the relocation of the Gyanvapi mosque to another suitable location, respecting the ASI's report.

In a post on X, the VHP shared Alok Kumar's letter, where he emphasized that the 'Shivlinga' in the 'wazukhana' area indicates that the structure does not have the characteristics of a mosque. He claimed that inscriptions found in the structure, including the names Janardana, Rudra, and Umeswara, provide evidence of its past as a temple.

"The evidence collected and the conclusions provided by the ASI do prove that the religious character of this place of worship existed on the 15th day of August 1947, and as at present is of a Hindu Temple. Thus, even as per Section 4 of the Places of Worship Act, 1991, the structure should be declared as a Hindu Temple," he added.

"The VHP believes that this righteous action shall be an important step towards creating amicable relations between the two prominent communities of Bharat," the VHP leader added.

However, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), earlier, refuted the ASI survey, finding evidence of the existence of a temp,e after conducting a scientific survey of the contentious Gyanvapi mosque premises in Varanasi.

In a press statement, AIMPLB executive member Qasim Rasool Ilyas said the report of the ASI is not "conclusive evidence" in this controversial case.

The Varanasi court, on Wednesday, directed for handing over the hard certified copies of the ASI report to the lawyers of the rival sides. Both Hindu and Muslim parties had sought copies of the ASI survey report.

The survey of the Gyanvapi mosque premises began after the Allahabad High Court rejected the petition filed by Muslim litigants seeking a stay on the Varanasi court's order for a scientific survey by the ASI. (With inputs from ANI)