Gyanvapi Mosque is located next to Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi
Videography at Varanasi's Gyanvapi Mosque will resume tomorrow, the district administration announced today. The matter, which started with a group of women seeking year-long access to a Hindu shrine behind the mosque, has reached the Supreme Court.
Here are top 10 developments in this big story:
- District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma said he had met all stakeholders and appealed for peace. "As for the appeal before the Supreme Court, it is up to the court-appointed commissioners. We are starting the process tomorrow," he said.
- The Supreme Court today refused to order a status quo in the matter but agreed to hear urgently a petition that challenges the ongoing videography at the mosque, located next to Kashi Vishwanath temple.
- The petition by lawyer Huzefa Ahmadi has contended that the order to conduct a survey and filming of the mosque premises is at odds with the Places of Worship Act, 1991.
- Chief Justice of India NV Ramana turned down the petitioner's plea for status quo, stating that such an order can't be passed without examining documents.
- Five Hindu women have sought year-long access to pray at the shrine behind the mosque. The site is currently open for prayers once a year. The women also want permission to pray to other "visible and invisible deities within the old temple complex".
- Hearing the petition by the women, a local court in April ordered inspection of the mosque complex and directed authorities to submit a report by May 10.
- The survey was halted after a dispute broke out. The mosque committee said the court had not ordered videography inside the mosque. The petitioners' lawyer, however, insisted that the court had given a go-ahead.
- Hearing the matter, the local court yesterday said videography can happen at all places asked for by the petitioners. It also directed authorities to complete the survey by May 17.
- The court decided not to replace the commissioner overseeing the survey. The petitioners' lawyer said the court has appointed two more survey commissioners; in total there are three now.
- The mosque committee has also challenged an April 21 verdict of Allahabad High court which had dismissed a plea challenging the survey of the premises.
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