A big win for Hindu petitioners

Varanasi: A local court in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi on Monday dismissed a plea questioning the maintainability of a petition filed by five Hindu women seeking worshipping rights of Hindu deities whose idols are located in the Gyanvapi mosque compound. Delivering the verdict in the Gyanvapi-Shrinagar Gauri dispute case, District Judge AK Vishvesh ordered that the plea, seeking the right to worship in the temple, is maintainable. The judge said the court will continue to hear the petition and posted the matter to further hearing on September 22.

"The court rejected the Muslim side's petition and said the suit is maintainable. The next hearing of the case is on September 22," said Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, who is representing the Hindu side in the case. Sohan Lal Arya, a petitioner in the Gyanvapi case, called it a "win for the Hindu community". "The next hearing is on September 22. It is a foundation stone for the Gyanvapi temple. Appeal to people to maintain peace," Arya said.

Advocate Mohd Sameem, representing the Muslim side, said they will now approach the High Court. "We had petitioned that the case listed was not worth hearing. our plea was denied today. We will approach the High Court now.

the case has just started, it will go on," he told reporters. Five women had filed a petition to seek permission for daily worship of Hindu deities whose idols are said to be located on an outer wall of the mosque. The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee had questioned the maintainability of the plea, contending that the Gyanvapi mosque is a Waqf property. District Judge AK Vishvesh had earlier reserved the order till September 12. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has welcomed the order of the Varanasi court on the issue and said that instead of considering it as a victory or defeat, everyone should accept it calmly. UP Minister Danish Azad Ansari said everyone should respect whatever verdict the court has given and follow it. "A court listens to all sides and only then comes to a conclusion. All of us should respect whatever verdict the court has given and follow it," the minister said.