Yogi Adityanath on Gyanvapi Row: 'If we call it a mosque, there will be a dispute'

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday urged the Muslim petitioners involved in the Gyanvapi dispute to present a proposal to rectify what he referred to as a "historical blunder."

In an interview to news agency ANI, the UP chief minister referred to the presence of a trident inside the premises and expressed the government's interest in resolving this long-standing issue. He pointed out that referring to the site as a mosque could lead to further disputes due to the religious symbols present there, including a jyotirling and deities.

"If we call it a mosque, there will be a dispute. I feel whoever has been blessed with sight by God, that person should see. What is a trishul (trident) doing inside a mosque. We did not put it there. There is a jyotirlinga, dev pratimas (idols)," he said.

"The walls are screaming and saying something. I feel there should be a proposal from the Muslim society that there has been a historical mistake and we need a solution," the Chief Minister said.

The Gyanvapi dispute gained widespread attention in 2021 when a group of women approached a Varanasi court seeking permission to worship deities within the Gyanvapi complex, which is located adjacent to the renowned Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi.

In response to the request, the court ordered a video survey of the complex, during which an object was discovered. Hindus claimed it to be a shivling, while the mosque management committee maintained that it was a part of a fountain in the 'Wuzukhana' (pool) meant for hand and feet washing before prayers.

Due to the escalating situation, the matter was escalated to the Supreme Court, which took measures to seal off the pool to prevent further tension.

Earlier this year, the Allahabad High Court dismissed the mosque committee's petition, challenging the validity of the request to worship Hindu deities within the mosque premises.

Following this, the Varanasi district court ordered an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) survey at the mosque based on a separate petition filed by four of the five women. They argued that conducting a scientific survey was the only way to determine whether the Gyanvapi mosque was constructed after demolishing a Hindu temple.

The Gyanvapi mosque committee took the matter to the Allahabad High Court on July 25, following the Supreme Court's decision to halt the ASI survey until 5 pm on July 26, granting time for the committee to appeal against the lower court's order.

Subsequently, the high court extended the stay on the ASI survey of the Gyanvapi mosque premises. During the hearing, a senior ASI official assured the court that the survey team had no intention of damaging the mosque's structure.

After considering the plea by Anjuman Intezamia Masjid, which manages the Gyanvapi mosque, Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker scheduled further hearing on the matter for Thursday, maintaining the stay on the ASI survey until then. The court then reserved its decision on the case until August 3.