International Editor
Varanasi (International Editor) A few days after the inauguration of the Ram Temple built on the site of the historic Babri Masjid in India, a local court on Wednesday handed down a controversial verdict in one of the country’s most sensitive religious disputes, denying Hindus the historic heritage of Varanasi. Permission was given to perform puja inside the Vapi Masjid. The Gyan Vapi Masjid is one of several Islamic places of worship that Hindu groups backed by Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party have been campaigning to turn into temples for decades. It was built in a city where Hindus from all over the country used to worship and cremate their loved ones on the banks of the holy river Ganga. A court in Varanasi on Wednesday ruled in a case that Hindu worshipers should not use the mosque, which was built by Hindus. According to the belief, worshipers can worship in the basement of the temple, which was built over the ruined temple of Lord Shiva. The court order ordered the district authorities to make suitable arrangements within the next seven days for the convenience of the Hindu worshipers The decision is the latest twist in a long-running legal battle over the future of the Gyan Vapi Mosque. Earlier this week, the country’s official archaeological agency, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), said the site of the mosque A survey by the.
Caption
Police officers stand guard outside the historic Gyan Vapi Mosque in Varanasi, India
