Gyanvapi Masjid: Due to the ‘that’ decision of the British trial court in 1936, the Hindu side prevailed?

New Delhi: The hearing on the petition filed in the court here in the case of Gyanvapi Masjid-Shringar Gauri temple is being held on Monday, May 23. The hearing will be held in the local court of Varanasi. Meanwhile, five women who ran in court in the Gyanvapi case had referred to the 1936 decision of the British Trial Court in the Supreme Court. The petitioners have claimed in the Supreme Court that the entire land of Gyanvapi Masjid belongs to Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

In the Supreme Court, the petitioners have claimed, citing a statement made by the British government’s trial court. In 1936, the court rejected the petition of a Muslim man, saying that the property of the mosque did not belong to the Waqf. Such a statement was made by lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain.

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The Anjuman Intjamia Masjid Committee of Varanasi had moved the apex court against Gyanvapi’s survey. Defending the case in court, Hindu party lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain, citing a lawsuit filed during the British rule, said that the British government had taken the right decision. The land belongs to the temple as there was no Waqf property at that time, so a Muslim cannot claim a mosque on that land, said advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain in court.

Aurangzeb demolished the mosque

The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb had ordered demolition of Vishweshwar (Kashi Vishwanath) temple in Varanasi on April 9, 1669. According to the petitioners, there is no record in history that the then ruler or any subsequent ruler issued an order to make the disputed land a waqf or to hand over the land to any Muslim body.

Read: Knowledge-wide survey: Remains of the temple, Sheshnag-lotus artwork on the wall; The court commissioner’s report claims

What is Waqf?

Waqf is a form of charity performed for any religious purpose, say scholars in the Muslim community. If those who believe in Islam donate for religious purposes, then it is called Waqf. These include educational institutions, cemeteries, mosques and other institutions.

Meanwhile, two petitions filed in the Gyanvapi case were scheduled to be heard on Wednesday. But due to the lawyers’ strike, it could not happen. Earlier, Rekha Pathak, Manju Vyas and Sita Sahu filed a petition in the local court on Tuesday. The trio claimed that there was a basement to the east of the place where the Shivling was found and it was closed with stones, bricks and cement. He also said that there is a wall and a basement in front of the idol of Nandi which is also enclosed with stones and bricks. The petition will now be heard on May 23.

Read: Shivling Pachuche found in Gyanvapi Mosque ?; Learn history