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Gyanvapi Case: New Twist As A 'Shivling' Is Found In The Complex Pond

By Our Editorial Team
First publised on 2022-05-16 13:26:30

About the Author

Sunil Garodia The India Commentary view

As expected, the Gyanvapi survey issue is likely to snowball into a conflict between communities after the alleged discovery of a 'shivling' in the pond inside the complex. The survey team has said that a 'shivling' was found when the water was drained out of the pond that the devotees used for wudu (the purification process before namaz). A Varanasi court has ordered that the area where the 'shivling' was found is to be sealed until further orders.

It needs to be remembered that the plea before the Varanasi court had two issues - the first plea demanded that a portion in the complex which was open to Hindus for prayers once a year be opened throughout the year and the second demanded that Hindus be given the right to worship "visible and invisible deities inside the old temple complex". The very fact that the court had ordered a video-recorded survey for both the pleas was blatantly wrong - it should have out rightly junked the second plea as that amounted to changing the basic character of the place of worship and was against provisions of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act  1991 (PWSPA).

Now, the alleged discovery of the 'shivling' has complicated matters. Although the sealing of the area, though it looks like a hasty and biased decision by the court, is good as that will prevent any untoward incident from taking place, the Supreme Court, which is slated to hear the pleas against the survey ordered by the Varanasi court, must now also look into the issues that arise after that alleged discovery. The PWSPA, which froze the character of places of worship in India as they existed on August 15, 1947 (except the Babri Masjid-Ram Janambhoomi spot), was enacted precisely to prevent such things from happening. The Supreme Court will have to decide the matter as per the provisions of the said Act.

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