Supreme Court Declines Plea to Worship Shivling in Gyanvapi Mosque

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to entertain a plea to offer prayers to the ‘Shivling’ purportedly found during the survey in the Gyanvapi mosque complex. The Gyanvapi mosque is located next to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi of Uttar Pradesh. 

The bench of Justice DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant and PS Narasimha said such prayers can't be entertained when the suit is already pending. It also declined to entertain another plea filed by seven women seeking carbon dating and ground penetrating radar survey of the discovered Shivling within the Gyanvapi mosque.

During the hearing, senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi appearing for the mosque management committee, opposed the order appointing the Commissioner to survey the premises. He described the appointment of court commissioner to survey the premises as a poison tree whose poison fruit -- the report -- has created a situation and perception which attempts to alter the status quo of the mosque existing for centuries

The apex court said it will prefer to wait for the decision of the district court on maintainability of a suit related to the Gyanvapi mosque at Varanasi. It also said the objections made by the Muslim side on the appointment of court commissioner to survey the premises would be for consideration in the future. 

The bench was hearing an appeal filed by the Committee that manages the Gyanvapi mosque challenging an order of Allahabad High Court permitting a court-appointed commissioner to inspect, conduct a survey and videography of the Gyanvapi mosque.

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It is pertinent to note that survey work was completed on May 16 and the report was presented in the court on May 19. The Hindu side had claimed in the court that a Shivling was found during the videography survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex. However, the Muslim maintained that it was part of a fountain in the wuzu khana (ablution area).