Supreme Court Declines to Halt Hindu Prayers at Gyanvapi Mosque Cellar

The Supreme Court of India on Monday declined to issue a stay on the Hindu prayers being conducted in the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, while simultaneously calling for a response from the Kashi Vishwanath Temple trustees regarding a petition filed by the mosque management committee. This decision comes amidst ongoing legal disputes over religious practices at the mosque premises. The apex court also reinforced the status quo on the offering of Namaz by Muslims within the Gyanvapi mosque area, aiming to maintain religious harmony until further decisions are made.

The court’s proceedings are a direct response to an appeal made by the Gyanvapi mosque management committee against a verdict by the Allahabad High Court. The High Court had earlier upheld a lower court’s decision that permitted Hindu devotees to offer prayers in a section of the mosque known as the “Vyas Tehkhana” or the southern cellar. The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, has now sought detailed explanations from both the temple trustees and priest Shailendra Kumar Pathak Vyas by April 30, indicating the high stakes involved in this religious and legal conundrum.

The controversy traces back to a decision made by the Uttar Pradesh government in 1993, which halted worship rituals inside the Vyas Tehkhana, citing it as illegal. This decision has been a focal point of dispute, leading to multiple legal challenges over the years. The recent rulings by the Supreme Court and the Allahabad High Court represent significant developments in the ongoing legal battle surrounding the Gyanvapi mosque, highlighting the complex interplay between religion and law in India.

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