Varanasi court fixes May 23 for next hearing in Gyanvapi case

A Varanasi court hearing the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri case on Thursday posted the matter to May 23 for the next hearing. Both the parties filed their objections and counter-objections on Thursday.

Varanasi (UP): A Varanasi court hearing the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri case on Thursday posted the matter to May 23 for the next hearing. Both the parties filed their objections and counter-objections on Thursday. In view of the Supreme Court's order to the lower court not to proceed with the matter till Friday, it fixed May 23 for the next hearing, Madan Mohan Yadav, the lawyer representing the Hindu side, said.

Abhay Yadav, the lawyer appearing for the Muslim side, said the plaintiff had demanded the court-appointed team to carry on with its proceedings by demolishing certain walls, "to which we have objected". "Also, a government counsel had demanded the removal of fish from a man-made pond located on the premises of the mosque. These fish are ours and we have raised our objection to this petition as well," he said.

The two petitions filed in the Gyanvapi case were to be heard on Wednesday, but due to a lawyers' strike over the remarks of a special secretary-level official, the hearings could not be held. The strike call was given by the Banaras Bar Association and the Central Bar Association and the hearing was scheduled on the same on Thursday.

On Tuesday, Rekha Pathak, Manju Vyas and Sita Sahu had filed an application in the court, stating that there is a basement to the east of the spot where a "Shivling" was claimed to have been found. The basement has been sealed with brick, stone and cement, they said. Besides, there is also a wall and a basement in front of an idol of Nandi in the Kashi Vishwanath temple, and this basement has also been blocked with brick, stone, sand and other items, they said.

They had also asked for orders to the court-appointed team to report the length, width and height of the "Shivling", besides to open the door of the west wall, which is covered with debris inside the barricading, and to carry out its work there. Accepting the application, the court had said it would hear the matter on Wednesday. Another petition was filed on Tuesday on behalf of District Government Advocate Mahendra Pandey, demanding removal of fish from the man-made pond and the shifting of the pipeline of the "wazoo khana", which was to be heard by the court.

PTI