Plea to replace cloth on sealed lock at Gyanvapi premises: Varanasi court reserves order till Nov 10

Varanasi (UP), Oct 29 (PTI) The Varanasi district court on Wednesday reserved its order till November 10 on a plea seeking replacement of a cloth tied over the sealed lock of the wuzukhana (ablution area) inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex, after both Hindu and Muslim parties gave their consent.

Lawyer Madan Mohan Yadav, representing the Hindu side, said the District Court Judge Sanjiv Shukla sought the consent of both parties and subsequently reserved its order for November 10.

"In the previous hearing, the district court had observed that since the matter is pending before the Supreme Court, it could not issue any directive on its own. However, it had noted that if both sides agreed, the cloth on the sealed lock could be replaced," Yadav said.

The wuzukhana area of the Gyanvapi mosque was sealed on May 16-17, 2022, following a court-ordered survey conducted by the Varanasi civil judge (senior division) in accordance with directions from the Supreme Court.

It is said that the cloth tied around the lock has deteriorated over time.

To prevent any untoward incident, the Hindu side filed a petition on August 8 seeking permission to replace it.

The Gyanvapi complex, located adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple, has been at the centre of a long-running legal dispute between Hindu and Muslim parties over claims of the existence of a temple structure beneath the mosque. PTI COR ABN ZMN