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PRAYAGRAJ: The Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee (which manages the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi) has moved the Allahabad High Court, challenging a Varanasi District Court's order allowing Hindus to resume prayers in Somnath Vyas ji Tehkhana on the mosque's premises after 31 years.
The matter was reportedly mentioned before Acting Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta by Sr. Adv. SFA Naqvi, who directed Naqvi to move an urgent listing plea before the Registrar Listing. The matter is likely to be taken up soon.
Yesterday, a district court in Varanasi had allowed Hindus to perform puja inside the Somnath Vyas ji tehkhana once again, after a period of 31 years.
Puja at the tehkhana which had been performed by Pujari Shri Vyas ji since during the British-rule in India, was stopped by the Samajwadi Party - BSP government in 1993.
The plaintiff had mentioned in the plea that an idol was worshipped in the tehkhana situated in the south direction of the temple building by Pujari Shri Vyas ji. However, after December 1993, he was banned from entering the barricaded area of the said premise.
The order notes the plaintiff's argument that due to this, rituals like Raaj-Bhog etc. which took place there earlier, also stopped. It was argued that this was established by the fact that on the basis of tradition, Shri Vyas ji occupied the place even during the British rule.
Further, the petitioner claimed that Pujari Shri Vyas ji performed puja at the premises in question till the month of December 1993, after which the door to the tehkhana was closed.
The order notes that the applicant had argued that very old idols and other puja samagri used by Hindus were also present in the said tehkhana, and stated that it is necessary to worship the idols present in the temple on a regular basis.
However, in 1993, the state government and the district administration had stopped the puja being conducted there without any legal authority, the petitioner argued.
