Haridwar (Uttarakhand): A day after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's comment came regarding the veracity of the existence of the Shiva temple inside Gyanvapi mosque premises with the allusion that the religious structure belonged to the Hindus earlier before it was turned into a mosque, president of Akhara Parishad, the apex body of saints, Mahant Ravindra Puri rallied behind the former saying it's time for the Muslims to give up on Gyanvapi and hand it over to the Hindus.
On Tuesday, he urged Muslim religious leaders to withdraw their claim in the court. In return, the Akhara Parishad will make a grand mosque for the Muslims, he said. Akhara Parishad president Mahant Ravindra Puri said, "Gyanvapi does not need any proof." To substantiate his claim, the Mahant said certain symbols corroborate the claim of Hindus.
"Nandi's face is towards Gyanvapi. There is the existence of a bell and trident. What Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said is correct," Puri said. He added, "Muslim religious leaders should show a big heart and lead by example so that the future generations can feel proud of themselves. Muslim religious clerics should hand over Gyanvapi to Hindu devotees with mutual consent. The Akhara Parishad president said that the word Gyanvapi is also derived from Sanskrit.
"This is also another example that Gyanvapi is a temple and not a mosque," the saint added. He said saints will build a mosque if they give up their claim from Gyanvapi. The Akhara Parishad has appealed to Muslim religious leaders that Muslims should give up their demands. "Give us Gyanvapi. We will build a grand mosque and hand it over to the Muslims. They should simply withdraw their claim on Gyanvapi," Puri said.
