"Issues Of Kashi, Mathura Should Not...": Muslim Body Chief On Gyanvapi Petitions

Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind President Maulana Arshad Madani on Wednesday said the Muslim side will approach the Supreme Court after pleas challenging the maintainability of a 1991 suit seeking the "restoration" of a temple where the Gyanvapi mosque now stands in Varanasi was dismissed by Allahabad High Court.

He also asserted that he had hoped such issues in Kashi and Mathura would not arise in light of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act but this has been continuing unabated at the behest of "divisive forces".

Allahabad High Court on Tuesday dismissed pleas challenging the maintainability of a 1991 lawsuit seeking the "restoration" of a temple where the Gyanvapi mosque stands and observed that the "religious character" of a disputed place can only be decided by the court.

Asked about the verdict while speaking with journalists, Madani said, "In the Gyanvapi case, the (mosque's) committee is preparing to go to the Supreme Court and, as far as I know, they have also talked to some lawyers." "We will present our case in the highest court of the country and will accept its decision because the Supreme Court is the highest court in our country and there is no legal option left after that," he said.

On the recent decision allowing survey of the Gyanvapi mosque, Madani said, "We have no objection to the survey. We believe that if the survey is conducted honestly, nothing will come out of it." But the manner in which such controversies are being raised goes against the 1991 law on the protection of places of worship in which it has been clearly stated that no such controversy will be raised with respect to any place of worship, except the Babri Masjid where the dispute dates back to pre-Independence, he added.

Asked about the silence of secular parties on such issues, Madani said the political party which brought this law and was in its favour should speak on it.

"After the enactment of the Places of Worship Act, we had hoped that no issue on any mosque would arise but communal-minded forces did not allow this and they started raising the issue of Gyanvapi mosque and the Idgah of Mathura," he said.

Madani also said there is not a single Muslim minister in the ruling party who can present the problems of the community.

Asked whether he would invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Darul Uloom Deoband, Madani said, "Darul Uloom does not invite anyone. Whoever went there, went there himself. Whoever goes, we welcome him." On the Israel-Palestine issue, Madani said the people of Palestine should get their independent country, which can live side by side with Israel.

He also called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

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