Gyanvapi Issue: 'Sanction Puja in Wazukhana Area, Shift Gyanvapi Mosque', VHP Urges Court, Muslims

Alok Kumar, the international working president of the VHP, on Sunday called for starting worship in the disputed 'Wazukhana' area.

Both Hindu and Muslim parties had requested copies of the ASI investigation report. (File)

Gyanvapi Mosque Problem: A day after the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) demanded that the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi be declared a Hindu temple and handed over to the Hindu community, Alok Kumar, the VHP's international working president, on Sunday called for starting worship in the disputed “Wazukhana” area.

Speaking to news agency ANI on Sunday, Alok Kumar also urged the Muslim community to “respectfully shift the Gyanvapi Mosque to another suitable place” while handing over the original site to the Hindus for construction of a temple, saying that the findings of the archaeological site Survey of India (ASI) leave no doubt that a temple was razed to build the mosque.

“With all the evidence from the findings of the ASI investigation that has now emerged, there is no doubt that the mosque was built on the ruins of a Hindu temple. The VHP has put forward two demands: the process of offering puja in the Wazukhana area should begin with necessary sanctions from the court and the Intezamia Committee should also take due note of the new report and respectfully respect the Gyanvapi Mosque move it to another suitable place while leaving the original location to the Hindu community,” he said.

In a post on The discovery of the names including Janardana, Rudra and Umeswara in the inscriptions found in the structure are the tell-tale proof that this is a temple, he claimed in the letter.

“The evidence collected and the conclusions of the ASI prove that the religious character of this place of worship existed on the 15th day of August 1947, and as is the case today with a Hindu temple. So even under Section 4 of the Places of Worship Act, 1991, the structure should be classified as a Hindu temple,” he added.

“The VHP believes that this just action will be an important step towards creating friendly relations between the two prominent communities of Bharat,” the VHP leader added.

However, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) refuted the ASI investigation and found evidence for the existence of a temple after conducting a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque premises.

AIMPLB executive member Qasim Rasool Ilyas said in a press statement that the ASI's report is not “conclusive evidence” in the case.

The investigation into the Gyanvapi Mosque premises began after the Allahabad High Court dismissed the petition filed by Muslim litigants seeking a stay of the Varanasi High Court order for a scientific inquiry by the ASI and the Varanasi High Court , on Wednesday, aimed at handing over the hard-certified copies of the ASI report to the lawyers of the rival parties. Both Hindu and Muslim parties had requested copies of the ASI investigation report.

(With ANI inputs)