Gyanvapi civil suit transfered to Varanasi district judge | Top points from SC hearing today
India Today
The Supreme Court is hearing a challenge to the survey order of the Gyanvapi Mosque complex and considering the arguments of both the Muslim and Hindu sides.
The Supreme Court, which is hearing a challenge to the survey order of the Gyanvapi Mosque complex issued by the Varanasi court, handed over the case to the district judge.
The report on the Gyanvapi mosque video survey was submitted before the Varanasi court on Thursday by the court-appointed special assistant commissioner. The video survey was ordered by the civic court based on the plea by five women, seeking permission to worship Hindu deities whose idols are located on the outer wall of Gyanvapi Masjid.
-The Supreme Court has transferred the civil suit to the court of the district judge. The civil judge will not hear these cases anymore.-The Apex Court’s order to ensure the protection of religious rituals of the mosque and the reported Shivling to continue for eight weeks.- The Supreme Court said the May 17 order was passed with an idea that the message goes that the top court is seized of the matter and it is like a healing touch for both sides. "We are trying to balance both sides," the court said.- Supreme court directed the district magistrate to decide on the Order 7/Rule 11 application on priority- Muslim side argued that the change of religious character of a place of worship is expressly barred. “Why was the commission set up? It was to see what was there,” they said
- The bench quoted an example, “Suppose there is an agiyari. Suppose there is a cross in another part of the Agiyari. Does the presence of an agiyari make the cross an Agiyari? Or does the presence of the cross make the Agiyari a Christian place? This hybrid character is not unknown in India.” “Presence of an article of Christian faith will not make it Christian and presence of Zoroastrian will not make it so,” the court said.- The Supreme Court will examine at a later stage whether the trial judge went beyond the jurisdiction and the report being leaked are different issues.- Supreme Court asked whether the determination of religious character is barred by the Places of Worship Act. - Senior advocate Hufeza Ahmadi said many places across India host different religions at the same site.- Supreme Court stayed the order which was passed by the civil judge of Varanasi on May 16, 2022
