Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that if Gyanvapi is called a Masjid (Mosque), then it will create dispute. This statement of Yogi has once again become the hot cake of the political arena. In an interview, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said, “The Muslim side should make a proposal accepting that a historical mistake has been made and we believe that this mistake should be solved”. In response to a question, CM Yogi retorted and said, ‘What is the Hindu symbol Trishul doing inside the Gyanvapi mosque. ‘Haven’t we put it there? There is a Jyotirlinga there. There are symbols of deities inside the premises. The walls are screaming. And I believe that this resolution must come from the Muslim community acknowledging that a historical blunder has been committed, and believing that this blunder must be solved.
Earlier, on May 19, 2022, the commission reported to the district court that symbols of lotus, damru and trishul were found on the walls of the mosque. The same symbols of Sanatan Dharma were also found on the basement wall of Gyanvapi Masjid. Significantly, the 12-page report of the court commission was submitted to the court but this report was not made public yet.
According to the leaked report, the court commission says, ‘When water came out of the so-called fountain (Vujukhana), a cylindrical stone structure was found there, the Hindu side called it Adideshwar Mahadev Shiva Linga.’ The caretaker of the mosque said that there is a fountain but it is not working for a long time.
The Hindu side has since been demanding a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi complex. Recently the District Court of Varanasi gave permission to conduct the scientific survey and directed the ASI to submit the report by 4th August. The Muslim side reached the Supreme Court, raised the issue without mentioning it. However, the Supreme Court listened to him and granted him the liberty to file an appeal in the Allahabad High Court the next day and directed status quo on the orders of the District Court till the final order of the High Court. The Allahabad High Court heard this issue for three consecutive days and reserved the order for August 4.
Gyanvapi Issue: Lower Court to Apex Court
April 8, 2022: Civil Court orders a survey of the premises and appoints Ajay Kumar Mishra as in-charge of the exercise.
May 13, 2022: Supreme Court refuses interim order of status quo on the survey of the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex.
May 17, 2022: SC passes interim order directing the district magistrate of Varanasi to ensure protection of the area inside the complex.
May 20, 2022: SC transfers the case from a civil judge to a district judge. Oct 14, 2022: Varanasi district court rejects plea for carbon dating of the Shivling. Nov 10, 2022: SC agrees to set up a bench to hear the case.
May 12, 2023: Allahabad High Court orders determination of the age of the Shivling using modern technology.
May 19, 2023: SC defers scientific survey to determine the age of Shivling. July 21, 2023: Varanasi district court directs the ASI to conduct the survey — including excavations, wherever necessaryto determine if the mosque was built at a place where a temple existed earlier.
July 24, 2023: SC halts ASI’s survey at premises till 5 pm on July 26, asks HC to hear mosque panel’s plea.
After passing through several stages, the Gyan Vapi case has once again made its way to the Supreme Court from the Lower Court. On 26th July, the Supreme Court decided to maintain the Status Quo and instructed the Allahabad High Court that any further orders should be issued before 5 pm on 27th July. Subsequently, on 28th July, the Allahabad High Court put a stay on the ASI Survey and reserved its judgement to August 4.