The District Judge Court in Varanasi on Monday declined to issue any order regarding a plea to replace the decaying cloth used to seal the wuzukhana (ablution pond) of the Gyanvapi mosque. The court cited a direct order from the Supreme Court as the reason for its decision.
Court Cites Supreme Court Directive
Special government counsel for the Gyanvapi case, Rajesh Mishra, stated that District Judge Sanjeev Shukla observed the sealing was originally enforced under the Supreme Court's order. The apex court had tasked the District Magistrate with safeguarding the sealed area and had instructed all lower courts to refrain from passing any interim or final orders until its next directive. Given this, Judge Shukla deemed it inappropriate for his court to pass an order on the matter at this juncture.
Background of the Sealing and the Recent Plea
The controversy stems from a court-mandated survey conducted in May 2022. During this survey, the Hindu litigants claimed that a structure purported to be a Shivling was found inside the mosque's wuzukhana. Following this claim, the area was sealed first by the order of the Civil Judge Senior Division and subsequently the order was upheld by the Supreme Court. The site has remained sealed since then.
On August 8, the special government counsel filed an application drawing the court's attention to the physical state of the sealing cloth, arguing it had decayed and needed replacement. This demand was strongly opposed by the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid, the committee managing the Gyanvapi mosque.
Next Steps and Hearing
The court has asked for the relevant case papers to be produced on January 6, which will be the next date of hearing. The decision underscores the complex and sensitive nature of the Gyanvapi case, where lower courts are carefully navigating their jurisdiction in light of the Supreme Court's overarching directives. All parties now await further proceedings and the eventual guidance from the highest court.
