Gyanvapi survey: TMC's Babul Supriyo avers 'Reversing history will ruin us irreparably'

On Saturday, May 21, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Babul Supriyo weighed in his opinion on the Gyanvapi survey, saying, "it'll ruin us irreparably."

Taking on his Twitter handle, the TMC MLA from Ballygunge said that there could have been a Masjid inside a Temple or a Temple inside a Masjid and there could obviously be sentiments attached to it. "But what's happening? Courts entertaining case after Case! Can we keep reversing History in the name of Correcting Historical wrongs? It'll ruin us, irreparably," Supriyo added.

'Entire mosque built on temple'

On Friday, Republic TV met the family members of late Somnath Vyas, who clicked the first pictures of Gauri Shringar in 1992 before the entire area was barricaded. Shailendra Kumar Pathak, the successor of the late Somnath Vyas, claimed that the entire Gyanvapi Masjid has been built over a Temple. Shailendra Kumar Pathak, the successor of late Somnath Vyas, said, "The pictures were clicked in the rear side of Gyanvapi Mosque. I used to go with my grandfather to conduct pooja. The photo is over 40 years old."

Pathak claimed that the entire Mosque is built upon a temple. Showing old records to Republic TV, he said, "The basement located in the southern part of the mosque is under the possession of the Vyas family. To take back the basement for conducting prayers, a case was filed."

The first petition to build a temple in the Gyanvapi mosque complex was filed in the Varanasi Court on 15 October 1991, by Pandit Somnath Vyas and others. The petitioners contended that Aurangzeb, in 1664, destroyed a temple built by King Vikramaditya about 2050 years ago. They had claimed that the remains of the Temple were used to build the Mosque.

SC transfers Gyanvapi case to district judge

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the transfer of the Gyanvapi mosque case to the district judge, Varanasi. While hearing Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee's plea against a Varanasi court order which directed a videography survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque complex close to the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple, the top court said that a senior and experienced judicial officer of UP Judicial services will hear the case.

The court also directed the District Magistrate (DM) concerned to make appropriate arrangements for Wazu at the masjid. A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant and PS Narasimha said that the May 17 order for sealing the 'Shivling' area and access for namaz will continue till the Order 7 Rule 11 application is decided and thereafter for eight weeks.

The application filed by the petitioners under Order 7 Rule 11 of the CPC (maintainability) shall be decided on priority by the district judge on the transfer of the suit, it said and posted the matter for further hearing in the second week of July.