Allahabad HC Refuses Interim Stay On ‘Puja’ At Cellar In Gyanvapi Mosque, Asks Muslim Side To Amend Its Plea

Prayagraj, February 2 (TNA) The Allahabad High Court (HC) on Friday declined to give an interim stay on an order of the Varanasi court allowing Hindu prayers in Gyanvapi mosque cellar, known as Vyas ji Ka Tehkhana. The HC also asked the Muslim side to amend its plea. This is being seen as a bog jolt to the Muslim side which has been opposing tooth and nail, the Varanasi Court order, allowing puja inside the cellar.

Next hearing will be held in Allahabad High Court on February 6. The court also directed the Advocate General to maintain law and order situation. The Allahabad High Court also said that they would like to see what was the hurry in appointing the receiver. The Muslim side's lawyer told the court that the Hindu side's application was allowed on January 17 by appointing a receiver (Varanasi DM) and an order allowing puja was passed on January 31.

Allahabad High Court asked the Muslim side that 4 basements are in the Gyanvapi Masjid complex, but there is no claim as to which basement the Hindu side wants to pray in. The Muslim side told the court that the Hindu side is demanding one of the four basements in which Vyas Tehkhana is located.

The court asked the Muslim side that you have not challenged the order of January 17 appointing the DM as receiver. The order of January 31 is consequential, unless that order is challenged how will this appeal be maintainable? The court told the Muslim side that you have put forward this through a supplementary affidavit and that it was not a writ petition

The court asked the Advocate General what is the current situation there, on which the Advocate General told the court that law and order is maintained there. The court told the Muslim side that after the appointment of the receiver, you have filed an application under Order 7 Rule 11 (Rejection of the plaintiff). Your case is not that the application should be heard first, on which Muslim side's advocate SFA Naqvi said that our concern is about the action taken by the DM in 7 hours whereas he was given 7 days time.

Muslim side- then prayed that they will present the amendment application but pleaded for a stay on the decision and that status quo be maintained. Hindu side's advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain opposed the petition and said that the Muslim side has not challenged the order of January 17, whereas the order of January 31 is correct and the appeal of the Muslim side is not worth hearing. The case was heard in the single bench of Justice Rohit Ranjan Aggarwal.