A municipal court in Varanasi has asked statements from the Uttar Pradesh government, the Mosque committee, and the Board of Trustees of Kashi Vishwanath Temple in response to a suit filed by Rakhi, Laxmi, Sita, Manju, and Rekha.
They want to seek a declaration from the court that they are entitled to have darshan of Maa Srinigar Gauri, Lord Ganesh, Lord Hanuman, and other visible and invisible deities within the Gyanvapi Mosque, as well as to perform rituals and pooja.
To prevent defendants from imposing any restrictions, obstructing, hindering, or interfering with devotees’ daily darshan, pooja, aarti, bhog, and ritual observance.
To enjoin defendants from demolishing, damaging, destroying, or injuring deities’ pictures in any way.
To direct the Uttar Pradesh government and district administration to take all necessary security arrangements and to permit daily darshan, pooja, aarti, and bhog by devotees of deities within the precincts of the old temple complex known as the “Ancient temple.”
The fundamental right of religion guaranteed to citizens by Article 25 of the Indian Constitution is being infringed, according to the plea, because the Government of Uttar Pradesh and the officers working under it have no right or power to restrict Hindus’ exercise of religious rights, and they cannot limit pooja and darshan to one day a year.
The Kashi Vishwanath Temple was also razed by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, according to the petition.
