Allahabad: The Allahabad High Court has approved the withdrawal of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition that requested the Uttar Pradesh Government to seal the premises of the Gyanvapi Mosque. This decision was made in accordance, with the ASI Survey order from the Varanasi Court, which was upheld by both the Allahabad High Court and the Supreme Court.
The PIL, which also aimed to restrict non-Hindus from entering the disputed location, was initiated by Jitendra Singh Visen, Chief of Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh (VVSS) Rakhi Singh (Plaintiff no. 1 in the Shringar Gauri Worshipping suit 2022) and others with representation by Advocate Saurabh Tiwary.
During the hearing conducted by a bench consisting of Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker and Justice Ashutosh Srivastava, an important question was raised to petitioners’ counsel by Chief Justice; How can the court legally restrict non-Hindus from entering the temple? Furthermore, they asked how it could be claimed that only non-Hindus may cause harm to Hindu symbols and representations.
The bench also highlighted that potential remedies sought in this PIL could be pursued within an existing lawsuit, before the Varanasi Court.
In response to this the lawyer representing the petitioners emphasized the variations, in the requests mentioned in the complaint filed with the Varanasi Court and those mentioned in the PIL. They pointed out that the complaint mainly emphasizes the right to worship, whereas the PIL focuses on protecting artifacts related to Hinduism.