NEW DELHI:
The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed a plea by Hindu women plaintiffs for cleaning the water tank in the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi that is located in an area that has been sealed.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud ordered the cleaning of the water tank under the supervision of the Varanasi district magistrate.
The bench, also comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, noted in its order that a similar plea has been filed by the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, the management body of the mosque, before a trial court in Varanasi.
The direction came after additional solicitor general Madhavi Divan, appearing in the court on behalf of the Uttar Pradesh government, sought permission for cleaning of the tank, contending there were dead fish in it.
The Varanasi district court on July 21, 2023, had directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a “detailed scientific survey” -- including excavations, wherever necessary -- to determine if the mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple was built upon a temple.
The apex court had ruled that the mosque’s “wazukhana” (a small reservoir where devotees perform ritual ablutions) will not be part of the survey. Following the top court’s order, wazukhana remains a protected spot in the disputed mosque complex. The Hindu litigants had claimed that a structure to be a “Shivling” exists at the wazukhana.
