NEW DELHI: The Supreme court on Monday agreed to consider a plea by Hindu parties in the Gyanvapi mosque case before November 12, as the period for protection to 'Shivlinga' is coming to end by then.
Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, appearing on behalf of the Hindu parties, submitted before a bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Hima Kohli that the matter required an urgent hearing as the period of protection granted by the court would get over.
The counsel also said the case was earlier scheduled for hearing on October 20, but it did not come up for consideration.
On this, the bench agreed the case would be heard before November 12.
The 'Shivlinga' was purportedly found on May 16 during the survey at the Gyanvapi Mosque complex.
On May 17, by an interim order, the top court had directed for protection of the 'Shivlinga' but allowed free access to Muslims to the site for offering namaz.
On September 12, the Varanasi district judge had rejected claims questioning maintainability of a suit filed by a group of Hindu women for permission to worship at Gyanvapi mosque complex.
The court had said the suit filed by the women was not barred by the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, related to maintaining status of religious places as prevailed on August 15, 1947.
It had also noted the plaintiffs are claiming only right to worship at the disputed property.
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