Gyanvapi case hearing not held due to lawyers’ strike

The court was scheduled to hear two petitions

VARANASI (UP): Hearing in the Gyanvapi mosque case could not take place in a court here on Wednesday as lawyers in the district were on a strike in protest against the remarks of a government official.

The Banaras Bar Association and the Central Bar Association, Varanasi had decided to boycott work as they were upset over the remarks of a Special Secretary against lawyers, according to advocate Abhay Yadav, representing the Muslim side in the case.

The court was scheduled to hear two petitions related to the case on Wednesday.

One of them filed by the Hindu side to remove a wall and debris around a Shivling which was claimed to have been found during a courtmandated videography survey, and the other moved by District Government Advocate Mahendra Pandey on shifting fish from a pond located on the premises. Yadav said the Muslim side also wanted to move an application before District Civil Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar, seeking two days from the court to file their objection to the petition of the Hindu side.

This application also could not be submitted in the court. The petitions will now be heard when the court opens, he said.

Madan Mohan Yadav, representing the Hindu side, said they had urged the Bar Association to allow the lawyers to participate in the hearing in the case on Wednesday since the eyes of the whole country are on the Gyanvapi Masjid case, but it did not yield any result.

The mosque is adjacent to the iconic Kashi Vishwanath temple and the local court is hearing a plea by a group of five Hindu women -- Rekha Pathak, Manju Vyas, Sita Sahu, Laxmi Devi and Rakhi Singh -- seeking the court’s permission for daily prayers before the idols on its outer walls.

On Tuesday, Pathak, Vyas and Sahu had filed a fresh plea in the court claiming that there is a basement to the east of the spot where the “Shivling” was claimed to have been found. The basement has been sealed with brick, stone and cement, they have said.

Besides, there is also a wall and a basement in front of an idol of Nandi in the Kashi Vishwanath temple, and this basement has also been blocked with brick, stone, sand and other items, they have said.

The State Government had withdrawn the Election Commission’s power on delimitation of constituencies and drawing up the reservation list