The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the district magistrate of Varanasi to ensure protection of the area inside the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex where a ‘Shivling’ is said to be found in the survey, and allowed Muslims to offer namaaz and perform ”religious observances”.
”Balancing the equity,” a bench comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and P S Narasimha, while hearing a plea of the Committee of Management Anjuman Intezamia Masjid which manages the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, passed the order and refused to stay the ongoing proceedings before the lower court.
The bench said it needed to balance the rights of contesting parties and clarified that the order of the civil judge (senior division), hearing the plea of petitioner Hindu devotees, directing the authorities to ensure the protection of the area would not restrict and impede the rights of Muslim to offer namaaz and to perform religious observances.
”This is an interim arrangement till counsel for the plaintiff is here. We need to balance the rights of contesting parties. The order of May 16, 2022, to the extent that DM, Varanasi, shall ensure the protection of area where a ‘Shivling’ is said to be found will not impede upon the rights of the Muslims to offer namaaz and perform religious observances,” the bench said in its order.
The order is unfair, we hope SC will completely stay the order and recognise unfairness in ignoring the 1991 Places of Worship Act, Allahabad HC order and sealing without hearing of the other party. The order of the trial court was wrong, unfair and illegal, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi told ANI.
