Image: ANI
The Allahabad High Court refused to grant an interim stay on the Varanasi court’s decision allowing Hindu prayers in the Gyanvapi mosque cellar, known as Vyas Tehkhana, on Friday. The court instructed the Muslim side, represented by the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee (AIMC), to amend its plea.
The Allahabad High Court extended the deadline for the AIMC to make amendments until February 6. The committee had challenged the district court order related to the Gyanvapi mosque. They were directed to include a challenge to a January 17 order, which led to the issuance of the January 31 order. The court will resume hearing the matter once these amendments are completed.
Justice Rohit Ranjan Agrawal issued the order during the hearing of an appeal filed by the AIMC, the entity overseeing the mosque’s affairs. The committee had approached the high court shortly after the Supreme Court refused to hear their plea against the Varanasi district court’s order, directing them to seek relief from the high court.
The Varanasi court ruled on Wednesday that a priest could perform prayers before the idols in the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi mosque, sparking a response in the form of a bandh in Varanasi.
In response to the district court order, shops and certain Muslim-dominated areas remained closed. The police issued an alert for the entire Varanasi district ahead of Friday namaz. The AIMC called for a town-wide bandh, affecting market areas in Dalmandi, Nai Sadak, Nadesar, and Ardal Bazar.
In a communication, the AIMC urged the closure of markets and peaceful namaz observance, advising Muslim women to stay indoors. Police Commissioner Ashok Mutha Jain convened a meeting to discuss security arrangements, mobilizing additional police forces from neighbouring districts to maintain peace. The Rapid Police Force (RPF) was stationed in sensitive areas, including near Kashi Vishwanath Dham, as people gathered at the Gyanvapi mosque complex for namaz.
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