Hindutva body chief writes to Yogi on PoA

VARANASI: The chief of a Hindutva body on Thursday wrote to chief minister Yogi Adityanath seeking his consent or nomination of someone else to hand over the power of attorney (PoA) in connection with the legal suits related to the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi.

In the letter, Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh chief Jitendra Singh Bisen cited an alleged life threat to him and his family members behind the decision to urge handover of the power of attorney. The letter is in line with Bisen’s announcement, first made last month and repeated a number of times ever since. There are around five cases related to Gyanvapi mosque in which VVSS is either a plaintiff or represents the plaintiff. Of these, three cases are in the civil court, one in the fast-track court and another in the district court. These cases include the ongoing Shringar Gauri-Gyanvapi case. Bisen said he did not want the ongoing cases to be left abruptly if anything untoward happened to him or his family.

Varanasi divisional commissioner Kaushal Raj Sharma has already called it a publicity stunt and said it does not have the CM’s consent. If any registry is done, FIR would be lodged, he has added.

A few days ago, the Varanasi Police Commissionerate had called Bisen’s statements ‘baseless’ and ‘irrelevant’ and had served a legal notice on the VVSS chief, directing him to submit his explanation within three days.

Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee (AIMC), the custodian of the Gyanvapi mosque, has called it a non-feasible move and a publicity stunt.