Gyanvapi mosque row: Main petitioner in Babri case speaks up, says situation 'not the same'

Haji Mahboob, the main petitioner in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute, said on Tuesday that a similar situation in Kashi with regard to the Gyanvapi mosque would lead to negative effects in the area, adding that the latter structure 'would remain a mosque'.

Ayodhya:A day after the Varanasi District court rejected the Gyanvapi mosque committee's plea arguing the case was not maintainable, Haji Mahboob, the main petitioner in the Babri masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi case in Ayodhya, said on Tuesday that the mosque 'would remain a mosque', adding that any Ayodhya-like decisions would lead to a 'bad situation' in the area.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, Mahboob said, "Whatever is happening in Kashi is worrisome. It (Gyanvapi) is a mosque and will remain so. If the primary decision goes against us, we will be reaching out to higher authorities. Highlighting that the situation was different from the issue revolving around Babri mosque in Ayodhya, the former stated that the Muslim side 'kept quiet'.

"Ayodhya was different. There was already a court order, so we did not take the issue any further, as the issue would finally be resolved. But here it is not so. Those affiliated with the RSS and in power want wrong things to become right. Bloodshed is the only thing left in the country," he noted.

The Gyanvapi mosque is located right next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple, and the recent order by the district court revives the longstanding claim that the mosque was built on a portion of the temple demolished via orders of Emperor Aurangzeb.

The mosque committee, in its now-dismissed petition, had cited the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 to make its case. The row started earlier this year after five Hindu women sought permission to offer prayers before Shringar Gauri.