After Varanasi Court allowed Hindu devotees to offer prayers inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex, advocate Sohan Lal Arya said that arrangements have been made but Vyas Ka Tekhana has not been opened for the devotees yet.
Devotees expressed their happiness over the Varanasi Court’s order.
Arya said, “We are feeling very proud today. The court’s decision yesterday was unprecedented…The arrangements have been made but it (Vyas Ka Tekhana) has not been opened for the devotees yet…”
Advocate Dheerendra Pratap Singh, a devotee, said that they are extremely happy and emotional with the court’s order.
“We all come here by 3-3:00 am every day for Darshan. We are extremely happy and emotional with the court’s order. Our happiness knows no bounds that we are getting the right to have ‘Darshan’ of our God. We would like that it should be opened to the general public as soon as possible,” he said.
The devotees were heard chanting the ‘Har-Har Mahadev’ slogan.
This comes as Varanasi court on Wednesday allowed Hindu devotees to offer prayers inside the ‘Vyas Ka Tekhana’ area inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex.
The court has asked the district administration to make the necessary arrangements in the next seven days.
Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side, told ANI, “Puja will start within seven days. Everyone will have the right to perform Puja.”
“Hindu side is allowed to offer prayers at ‘Vyas Ka Tekhana’. The District Administration will have to make arrangements within 7 days,” Jain said.
Meanwhile, Muslim side lawyer Akhlaq Ahmed said that they will approach the Allahabad High Court to challenge Varanasi Court’s decision.
Akhlaq Ahmed said, “We will approach the Allahabad High Court against the decision. The order has overlooked the Advocate Commissioner report of 2022, ASI’s report, and the decision of 1937, which was in our favour. Hindu side has not placed any evidence that prayers were held before 1993. There is no such idol in the place.”
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi said that the judgement given by the Varanasi Court was a violation of the Places of Worship Act.
“The judge who gave the decision was his last day before retirement. The judge appointed the District Magistrate as receiver on January 17 and finally he has directly given the verdict. He himself said that no prayers were offered since 1993. It has been 30 years. How does he know there is idol inside? This is violation of Places of Worship Act,” he said.
The mosque has four ‘tahkhanas’ (cellars) in the basement, of which one is still in the possession of the Vyas family, who used to live there.
