BJP leaders in Uttar Pradesh and other parts of the country welcomed the Varanasi district court’s decision in the Gyanvapi dispute. The court on September 12 had rejected a plea by the Anjuman Intezamia Committee, questioning the maintainability of a petition seeking permission for worship of Hindu deities whose idols are located on an outer wall of the Gyanvapi mosque.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said after the court’s decision there was a “wave of happiness” across the State.
“There’s a wave of happiness. I am getting many phone calls expressing happiness,” he said. Mr. Pathak added that the opposite party can challenge the order in the high court. “It is their right, but we will respect the verdict and strengthen the law and order situation in the State,” he added.
The lone Muslim face in the State Cabinet, Minister of State in Ministry of Minority Welfare Danish Azad Ansari, said that everyone should respect the verdict of the court and adhere to it. “A court listens to all sides and only then comes to a conclusion. We should respect it,” Mr. Ansari said.
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya tweeted, “I welcome the decision of the court in Maa Shringar Gauri Mandir case, everyone should respect the decision.”
Will have destabilising effect: Owaisi
Meanwhile, the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi hoped there is an appeal in high court against this order. “I hope the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee will appeal against this order. I believe that after this order, the purpose of the Places of Worship Act, 1991, will fail,” said Mr. Owaisi.
He also said the order will have “destabilising effect” and pave the way for more such cases coming to the courts.
“A destabilising effect will start after this. We're going on the same path as that of the Babri Masjid issue. When the judgement on Babri Masjid was given, I warned everyone that this will create problems in the country as this judgement was given on basis of faith,” he adds.
Muslim cleric and senior member of the All India Muslim Personal Law board (AIMPLB) Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali said that the legal team of Muslim side will read the full judgement and decide the further course of action. “While pronouncing the final judgement in the Babri mosque case, the Supreme Court had termed the Places of Worship Act as an important part of the judgement. We had hopes that temple-mosque issues will stop coming to courts but what has happened has raised a question for legal experts that on what grounds can the other courts ignore what the Supreme Court has said?” he said.
Leaders take to social media
BJP leaders across the country like Union Minister Giriraj Singh, Sadhvi Prachi, and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, took to social media to hail the court’s judgment.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad too welcomed the decision and said it should be accepted with grace and calmness and shouldn’t be treated as a matter of victory or defeat.
“The Varanasi court has now decided that the Varanasi suit is not injuncted by the Places of Worship Act. The application of the other party has been dismissed. The first hurdle has been crossed. Now the court will examine the matter on its own merits. We do hope and look forward to a victory for the law, the justice and the truth is with us,” said Alok Kumar, international working president, VHP.
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy in an interview given right after the local court’s judgment said that “special temples have to be vacated and rebuilt because they were deliberately demolished by the Aurangzeb & Muhammad Ghori”.
“I think the Muslim community should be cooperative like they were in Ram Janmabhoomi case. All that the Hindus have to show is, there was temple which was demolished and a masjid was built on it,” he added.
The U.P. police maintained strict vigil across the State on September 12 and conducted flag marches in sensitive places like Ayodhya and Varanasi. After the ruling, many Hindu groups in places like Kanpur, Lucknow and Varanasi celebrated the decision by bursting crackers and distributing sweets.
