The Allahabad High Court has dismissed a plea filed by the Muslim side challenging the district court’s order that had allowed Hindus to offer Puja and prayers at the Vyas ka Tehkhana inside the Gyanvapi complex.
#BREAKING
— Bar & Bench (@barandbench) February 26, 2024
Allahabad High Court today dismissed Muslim party plea challenging order permitting Hindu parties to offer prayers and puja in the southern cellar (vyas tehkhana).#Gyanvapi #AllahabadHighCourt pic.twitter.com/x9mFbfjqOB
The plea was filed by the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee challenging the Varanasi District Court’s January 31 order. In its order, the Varanasi District Court had allowed the Hindu petitioners to offer regular Puja and prayers at the Vyas Ka Tehkhana.
The Allahabad HC verdict dismissing the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee’s plea was delivered by the single judge bench of Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal. Justice Agarwal had reserved his order on February 15.
On January 31, the Varanasi District Court ordered Puja to be started and had given a time for 7 days to the administration to abide by the order. However, taking immediate measures to implement the court order, the Yogi Adityanath government got the Puja started in Vyas Ka Tehkhana on the same evening.
The mosque has four ‘Tehkhanas’ (cellars) in the basement, of which one is still in the possession of the Vyas family, who used to live there. Vyas had petitioned that, as a hereditary pujari, he be allowed to enter the Tehkhana and resume pooja.
on February 1, the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee moved to the Supreme Court with their plea against the Varanasi District Court’s order. However, the Supreme Court refused to entertain their plea and asked them to approach the Allahabad High Court.
