Daily puja started in ‘Vyas parivar Tehkhana’, says advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain

VARANASI: After the Varanasi court allowed Hindu devotees to offer prayers inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex, advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side, said that daily puja has started in ‘Vyas parivar Tehkhana’.

“In compliance of the order of Varanasi court, the state government and district administration have made amendments to the barricading and daily puja has started in ‘Vyas parivar Tehkhana’,” Jain sais on Thursday. “It was very quick for a state government to stop the puja and so it is very quick under this state government to comply the order of the court”, he added.

#WATCH | On the Gyanvapi case, Vishnu Shankar Jain, lawyer of the Hindu side says," In compliance of the order of Varanasi court, the State govt and district administration has made amendments to the barricading and daily puja has started in 'Vyas parivar Tehkhana'." pic.twitter.com/HMbWcBOGfl

— ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2024

This comes after a Varanasi court on Wednesday allowed Hindu devotees to offer prayers inside the ‘Vyas Ka Tekhana’ area inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex. Earlier, advocate Sohan Lal Arya said that arrangements have been made, but Vyas Ka Tekhana has not been opened for the devotees yet.

Devotees expressed their happiness over the Varanasi Court’s order. Arya said, “We are feeling very proud today. The court’s decision yesterday was unprecedented…The arrangements have been made but it (Vyas Ka Tekhana) has not been opened for the devotees yet…”

Advocate Dheerendra Pratap Singh, a devotee, said that they are extremely happy and emotional with the court’s order. “We all come here by 3-3.00 am every day for darshan. We are extremely happy and emotional with the court’s order. Our happiness knows no bounds that we are getting the right to have ‘darshan’ of our God. We would like that it should be opened to the general public as soon as possible,” he said.

The devotees were heard chanting the ‘Har-Har Mahadev’ slogan. The court had asked the district administration to make the necessary arrangements within the next seven days.

Meanwhile, Muslim side lawyer Akhlaq Ahmed said that they will approach the Allahabad High Court to challenge Varanasi Court’s decision.

Akhlaq Ahmed said, “We will approach the Allahabad High Court against the decision. The order has overlooked the Advocate Commissioner report of 2022, ASI’s report, and the decision of 1937, which was in our favour. Hindu side has not placed any evidence that prayers were held before 1993. There is no such idol in the place”.

The mosque has four ‘tahkhanas’ (cellars) in the basement, of which one is still in the possession of the Vyas family, who used to live there. (ANI)