New Delhi. Hearing was held in the Supreme Court today on the petition of the Mosque Committee against worship in the Vyas basement of the Gyanvapi Mosque complex in Varanasi. After hearing the arguments of both the parties, the apex court ordered to maintain status quo regarding namaz and worship for the time being. The Supreme Court also said in its order that this status quo should not be changed without our permission. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, however, issued a notice to the Hindu side (Vyas family) on the matter and sought their response. On this, Vyas family’s lawyer Shyam Diwan opposed issuing a formal notice. The lawyer said that the case has not yet been fully resolved in the lower courts. There is no need for Supreme Court intervention at this time.
#BREAKING #SupremeCourt orders status quo with respect to Namaz and the Hindu worship in the tehkhana in the Gyanvapi mosque.
SC orders that this status quo should not be altered without permission of the #SupremeCourt https://t.co/tB72tBiBRv
— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) April 1, 2024
Earlier during the hearing, lawyer Huzaifa Ahmadi, appearing for the Muslim side, argued that in the order to hand over possession in the Vyas basement case, 7 days time was given, but the government implemented it immediately. We have not got relief even from the High Court, the Supreme Court should immediately stop this. On this, the bench of Supreme Court Chief Justice DY Chandrachud asked whether there is only one way to go to the basement and the mosque? On this, Muslim side’s lawyer Ahmadi said that the basement is in the south and the way to the mosque is in the north. On this, CJI Chandrachud said that the routes for going to Namaz and puja are different, so we believe that there will be no hindrance in both the methods of worship. We direct that for the time being both Namaz and Puja should continue at their respective places.
In fact, the Anjuman Arrangements Mosque Committee has challenged in the Supreme Court the decision of the Allahabad High Court, which upheld the lower court order allowing Hindus to worship in the southern basement of the mosque. The committee manages the affairs of the Gyanvapi Mosque located in Varanasi. The lower court, in its order on January 31, had allowed Hindus to worship in the basement. After this the committee went to the High Court, where their petition was rejected on 26 February. The High Court had said that the 1993 decision of the Uttar Pradesh government to stop worship inside the basement of Vyas ji located in the southern basement of Gyanvapi was illegal. Worship was stopped through illegal action of the state without any written order. After this the puja started in the basement of Vyas ji.