New Delhi: Amid reports of settling the Gyanvapi mosque dispute out of the court, the lawyer for the Hindu plaintiffs Vishnu Shankar Jain on Thursday rejected any possibility of settling the matter through negotiations. "Out-of-court settlement is not possible in this case," he asserted.
Speaking to ANI, Advocate Jain said, "In order 23 CPC, there is a clear provision that till all parties agree, there can't be a compromise...on issues that are related to society and country, just one person or party alone can't do any settlement, even if they want to so. Out of court settlement is not possible in this case."
Jain's remarks came after the chief of a Hindu outfit Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh Jitendra Singh Bisen wrote an open letter inviting the Hindu and Muslim sides to hold talks to settle the dispute with mutual consent.
Earlier in the day, Vishnu Shankar Jain in a post on X, said, "I want to say clearly that Sanatan Dharma will not compromise on an inch of Bholenath in Kashi, it is possible that Muslims should apologise and remove their illegal occupation."
Meanwhile, the Muslim committee said that the offer will be deliberated upon in a meeting. "We have received the letter through the media. The letter will be presented in the committee's meeting. Whatever decision will be taken by the members of the committee will be valid," Joint Secretary of Intezamia Masjid Committee, Mohammad Yasin said.
The letter has come at a time when a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi complex is underway on the order of the Varanasi district court.
Recently, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had said that the Muslim community should come forward to admit that "a historic mistake" had happened at the site of Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi and propose a "solution."
"If we call it a mosque, that will lead to a dispute. We should call it Gyanvapi. It is Gyanvapi. What is a Trishul doing inside the mosque?" UP CM had asked in an interview with the press.