Gyanvapi Case: Varanasi court to deliver verdict on worship rights

VARANASI: The court had postponed the matter for November 14 during the last hearing on November 8. The plea of the Hindu side on which the court will deliver its verdict seeks permission for the immediate beginning of prayer of Swayambhu Jyotirlinga Bhagwan Vishweshwar, the handing over of the entire Gyanvapi complex to the Hindus, and banning the entry of Muslims inside the premises of the Gyanvapi complex.

The Muslim side is permitted to offer prayers in the premises till the matter is in court.

The Supreme Court on November 11 expanded its earlier order to protect the area where the ‘Shivling’ was asserted to be discovered at the Gyanvapi Mosque complex during the court survey.

During the last hearings in the Varanasi court, it had refused to allow a ‘scientific investigation’ of the purported ‘Shivling’.

The Hindu side had demanded carbon dating of the structure they claimed to be a Shivling found inside the Gyanvapi Mosque’s wazukhana.

However, the Muslim side said that the structure found was a ‘fountain’. The Hindu side had then submitted an application in the Varanasi District Court on September 22 that sought a carbon dating of the object they claimed to be ‘Shivling’.

The Hindu side claimed that they would approach the Supreme Court against the Varanasi court’s verdict refusing to permit a ‘scientific investigation’ of the purported ‘Shivling’, claiming to be found on the Gyanvapi mosque premises.