Gyanvapi Dispute: Varanasi District Judge to start hearing tomorrow

District and Sessions judge, Varanasi, Dr Ajaya Krishna Vishvesha will commence hearing in the Gyanvapi case tomorrow [Rakhi Singh vs State of UP]..The case is a civil suit filed by Hindu devotees staking claim on the Gyanvapi mosque and the right to worship inside the premises in the ground that the same was a Hindu temple and still houses Hindu deities..The civil suit was transferred from the court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) to Varanasi District Judge on orders passed on Friday by a Supreme Court bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant and PS Narasimha..The top court had made it clear that the District Judge would first decide the Order 7 Rule 11 application of the Muslim party regarding maitainability of the suit on priority. .The plaint has been filed through ten individuals acting as next friends of the deities claimed to be existing within the precincts of the mosque..They have claimed that a Jyotirlingam in the ancient temple was desecrated in 1669 under the orders of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, but Maa Shringar Gauri, Lord Ganesh and other deities continued to exist.After partial demolition of the ancient temple of Lord Adi Visheshwar, a new construction of the Gyanvapi Mosque was raised, the plaint filed through advocates Hari Shankar Jain and Pankaj Kumar Verma said.."That image of Maa Shringar Gauri exists within the property in question at the back side of Gyan Vapi in Ishan Kon (North East Corner). The devotees had been worshipping daily Pooja and Worship at this place but in 1990 (Nineteen Ninety) during Ayodhya movement the Government of Uttar Pradesh to appease Muslims, put some restrictions in the daily puja by devotees. Since 1993 (Nineteen Ninety three) the State Government imposed some more hard conditions for devotees in worshipping Goddess Shringar Gauri and other subsidiary deities," it was submitted..The plaintiffs have claimed that they have a fundamental right to perform 'pooja' within the marked premises."That Plaintiffs and the devotees of Lord Shiva along with subsidiary deities are entitled to perform Pooja, Darshan, Aarti, Bhog etc within the entire area of five Kos (Krosh) in exercise of right guaranteed by Article 25 (Twenty Five) of Constitution of India and no person has right to interfere and create hindrance in the performance of Pooja/ worship of deities by the Plaintiffs, and other devotees," the plaint stated..It was submitted that the place does not belong to Muslims and that any obstacle created before January 26, 1950 has become null and void by virtue of Article 13(1) of the Constitution of India. Further,"An idol worshipper cannot complete his pooja and gain spiritual advantages without having objects of worship. Any hindrance/ obstacle created in performance of pooja, is denial of right to religion guaranteed under Article 25 (Twenty Five) of the Constitution of India.