Arguments conclude on plea to join Gyanvapi case

Varanasi: Arguments concluded in the fast-track court of the civil judge (senior division) regarding a plea by Mukhtar Ahmad Ansari to become a party in Gyanvapi original suit no. 610/1991 (Ancient Idol of Swayambhu Lord Vishweshwar vs. Anjuman Intezamia Masajid) on Saturday. After veteran advocate Vijay Shankar Rastogi, representing the deity as its next friend, argued against Ansari's inclusion, the court set the date of April 25 for Ansari to file a reply.
This suit, filed in 1991, saw significant developments starting April 8, 2021, when the Varanasi district court ordered a comprehensive survey of Gyanvapi by the ASI. The AIM challenged this decision in the Allahabad High Court but their petition was dismissed on December 19, 2023. The HC upheld the ASI survey order. Following court orders, advocate Rastogi filed a plea for an additional survey. However, before a hearing on this issue could take place, several applications were submitted by individuals seeking to join the case. On February 28, the fast-track court rejected pleas from Pranay Kumar Pandey and Karan Shankar Pandey. Currently, the court is considering Ansari's plea, which claims the right to hold Urs, offer chadar (sheet), and perform Fatiha at alleged shrines within the Gyanvapi mosque compound.
In a separate development, the district court has set April 26 as the next date for hearing AIM’s plea challenging the local court's jurisdiction in Gyanvapi original suit no. 610/1991.