New Delhi: A fast-track court in Varanasi will deliver its verdict today on a plea seeking right to worship the ‘shivling’ that the Hindu side have claimed to find inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex, reported news agency ANI. The court had adjourned the matter for November 14 during the last hearing on November 8.
The demands by Hindu side in the petition filed include permission for the immediate beginning of prayer of Swayambhu Jyotirlinga Bhawan Vishveshwar, the handing over of the entire Gynavapi complex to the Hindus, and banning the entry of Muslims inside the premises of the Gyanvapi mosque.
The Muslim side has the permission to offer prayers in the premises till the matter is in the court.
The Supreme Court on November 11 extended its earlier order to protect the area where the 'Shivling' was stated to be discovered at the Gyanvapi Mosque complex during the court survey.
During the previous hearings in the Varanasi court, it had refused to allow a 'scientific investigation' of the purported 'Shivling'.
The Hindu side had demanded carbon dating of the structure they claimed to be a Shivling found inside the Gyanvapi Mosque's wazukhana.
However, the Muslim side countered the claimed by saying that the structure found was a ‘fountain’. The Hindu side had then submitted an application in the Varanasi District Court on September 22 that sought a carbon dating of the object they claimed to be ‘Shivling’.
The Hindu side said that they would approach the Supreme Court against the Varanasi court's verdict refusing to allow a 'scientific investigation' of the purported 'Shivling', claiming to be found on the Gyanvapi mosque premises.
On September 29 hearing, the Hindu side had demanded a scientific investigation of the 'Shivling' by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the carbon dating of 'Argha' and the area around it.
The Varanasi court said, "It would not be proper to order the survey of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and by giving such order the age, nature, and structure of the said Shivling is known, even this does not imply the possibility of a just solution".
(With agency inputs)