Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court on Monday fixed November 8, 2023, for hearing on a series of petitions challenging the validity of a suit seeking restoration of a temple at the site of the Gyanvapi Mosque. Anjuman Arrangement and other parties have filed these petitions challenging the validity of the case. Apart from this, these petitioners have also objected to a direction of a court in Varanasi. The direction ordered the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a detailed survey of the mosque complex located near the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi. During the court proceedings on Monday, it was brought to the notice of the court that the Anjuman Intejamia Masjid Committee (AIMC ) has submitted a Special Leave Petition (SLP) before the Supreme Court challenging the order of this court. The Chief Justice, who had earlier withdrawn the hearing of the cases from the single judge and reserved the judgement, has scheduled the hearing for this SLP on November 6, 2023.
In light of this development, Chief Justice Pritinkar Diwakar has fixed November 8, 2023 for the next hearing of cases related to Gyanvapi. It is important to note that AIMC, which is responsible for the administration of Gyanvapi Masjid, has opposed the case filed before the Varanasi court. In this case, a demand was made for the restoration of a temple at the place currently occupied by the Gyanvapi Mosque. The petitions have also challenged the Varanasi court’s direction of April 8, 2021, in which the ASI was directed to conduct a comprehensive survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque.