The Allahabad High Court on Monday dismissed a petition filed by the Anjuman Intejamia Masjid Committee against the Varanasi district court’s order allowing Hindus to offer prayers in a ‘tehkhana’ (cellar) of the Gyanvapi Mosque.

Pronouncing the verdict, Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal said that the court didn’t find any ground to interfere in the judgment passed by the district judge.

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“After going through the entire records of the case and after considering arguments of the parties concerned, the court did not find any ground to interfere in the judgment passed by the district judge dated 17.01.2024 appointing DM, Varanasi as receiver of the property as well as the order dated 31.01.2024 by which the district court had permitted Puja in the Tehkhana,” Justice Agarwal said while pronouncing its verdict.

“Hindu Prayers in the ‘Vyas Tehkhana’ will continue,” the High Court ruled.

The Varanasi court on January 31 had ruled that the Hindu side can offer prayers in the southern cellar of Gyanvapi mosque – the ‘Vyas Tehkhana’.

The court had also directed the district magistrate to make arrangements for ‘puja’ and a ‘pujari’ nominated by Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust.

Reacting to the High Court’s verdict, Advocate Hari Shankar Jain, said, “It is a decision worth welcoming. The right that Hindus have to perform puja has been maintained by the High Court. Hindus were performing puja in the Vyas Tehkhana until 1993, but they were stopped unlawfully. They (the Muslim side) can move Supreme Court, but we are also ready to oppose.”

Advocate Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi, representing the Hindu side, said that religious rituals used to take place in the ‘Vyas Tehkhana’ until 1991 when it was stopped without any order.”

“The High Court ruled in our favour…The objection of Anjuman Intezamia’s (Masjid Committee) has been dismissed by the High Court…,” he added.

Another advocate Prabhas Pandey hailed the HC verdict as a “big victory for the Santana Dharma”.

“The judge dismissed the pleas that the Muslim side had filed against the District Judge’s order…It means that the puja will continue as it is…This is a big victory for our Sanatana Dharma…They (Muslim side) can go for a review of the decision. Puja will continue,” he added.