KV Temple-Gyanvapi Mosque case adjourned till April 4
“THOUGH THE CENTRAL GOVT AND THE STATE GOVT ARE THE PARTY, IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT NO SENIOR COUNSEL IS PRESENT ON THEIR BEHALF...”
PRAYAGRAJ : Expressing dissatisfaction over the absence of senior government counsel, the Allahabad high court adjourned hearing of Varanasi’s Kashi Vishwanath Temple-Gyanvapi Mosque complex case till April 4, 2022 due to paucity of time.
Hearing a petition filed by Anjuman Intazamia Masjid of Varanasi, Justice Prakash Padia observed, “Though the central government and the state government are the party, it is unfortunate that no senior counsel is present on their behalf except Sri Rajesh Kumar Mishra and Ved Prakash Dwivedi, learned standing counsel for the state.” On March 24, the counsel representing the temple argued that the religious character of the place of worship remained the same as on the day of August 15, 1947, therefore, the provisions of Place of Worship Act, 1991 cannot be applied.
Section 4 of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 bars filing of suit or any other legal proceedings with respect to conversion of religious character of any place of worship, existing on August 15, 1947. The civil judge (senior division), fast track court (FTC) of Varanasi, had directed the ASI on April 8, 2021, to conduct a survey of KV Temple-Gyanvapi mosque complex to find out whether a temple was demolished to build the mosque that stands adjacent to the KV Temple. Subsequently, the high court, in the present case, had on September 9, 2021, stayed the Varanasi court’s order dated April 8, 2021, that directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a comprehensive physical survey of the KV Temple-Gyanvapi mosque complex and further proceedings of this case.