On
Monday, the Varanasi District and Sessions Court dismissed the challenge
by the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee on the case filed by five women. In
their plea, the women said they have the right to worship Maa Shringar Gauri on
the outer wall of Gyanvapi Mosque, near the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
The women also argued that the Mosque was built after
demolishing a part of the Temple by Mughal ruler Aurangzeb.
Here
is everything you need to know in 10 points:
1. Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Gyanvapi Mosque are
located adjacent to each other in the heart of Varanasi.
2. In the 1990s, the property dispute began at the
site when a suit was filed in a trial court in Varanasi to get
five-year-long access to offer prayers behind the western wall of the Gyanvapi
Mosque complex.
3. The proceedings were challenged by Anjuman
Intezamiya, saying that it violated Section 4 of the Places of Worship (Special
Provisions) Act, 1991.
4. The other side, however, argued that the original
character of the Temple does not change and thus, the provisions of the act do
not apply in the case.
5. On October 13, 1998, the trial court stayed the
proceedings after arguments from both parties.
6. Under the provisions of the 1991 Act, all places of
worship in the country will remain as they were on August 15, 1947, and cases
seeking conversion of a place of worship to that of another religion or faith
"shall abate."
7. In April, the Varanasi civil court ordered the
filming of the Gyanvapi mosque based on the petition by the Hindu women. They
claimed that there were idols of Hindu gods and goddesses in the Mosque
complex.
8. The report of the filming was submitted to the
court in a sealed cover. However, the details were controversially released in
the media just hours later.
9. The filming was challenged in court. The
petitioners said that it goes against the 1991 Act.
10. However, in August, district judge AK Vishvesha
reserved the order of the case and said that the judgement would be pronounced
on September 12.