• SC declines to stop Hindu prayers in Gyanvapi Mosque, seeks response from Kashi Vishwanath Temple trustees

    National
    SC declines to stop Hindu prayers in Gyanvapi Mosque, seeks response from Kashi Vishwanath Temple trustees
    The decision came as the court sought a response from the trustees of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple regarding a plea...

    Digital Desk: In a recent development concerning the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, the Supreme Court of India declined to halt Hindu prayers in the southern cellar of the mosque. The decision came as the court sought a response from the trustees of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple regarding a plea filed by the mosque's management committee.

    The matter arose from a plea filed by the Gyanvapi mosque management committee against a previous ruling by the Allahabad High Court. The high court had upheld a lower court's decision permitting Hindu prayers in the southern cellar of the mosque, known as the "Vyas Tehkhana."

    Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, leading the bench, ordered to maintain the status quo on Muslim offerings of namaz within the Gyanvapi premises until further notice. Additionally, the court requested a response from priest Shailendra Kumar Pathak Vyas by April 30 regarding the mosque committee's plea.

    The high court's dismissal of the mosque committee's plea was based on its observation that the Uttar Pradesh government's 1993 decision to cease worship rituals inside the Vyas Tehkhana was unlawful.

    The legal battle over religious practices within the Gyanvapi mosque underscores the delicate balance between religious freedoms and legal jurisdiction, prompting significant attention and debate nationwide.