The case against Hindu prayers in the Gyanvapi cellar is dismissed by the Allahabad High Court

Hindus are still able to pray to the gods housed in the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi, as the Allahabad High Court dismissed the petitions of the Gyanvapi Mosque Committee contesting the district court’s ruling in this regard on Monday. The court ruled that the state cannot arbitrarily deny a citizen their constitutionally protected right to practice their religion.

The Indian Constitution’s Article 25 guarantees religious freedom. According to Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal’s ruling, “The Vyas family, which continued religious worship in the cellar, cannot be denied access by oral order.” The appellant has not established a case for interfering with the orders dated January 17, 2024, and January 31, 2024, which designate the Varanasi CM as receiver and arrange for worship and rituals to be performed in Vyas tehkhana (cellar) under his supervision by the priest, so appointed, according to Justice Agarwal, who was speaking after reviewing the overall submissions made by the respective counsel of the parties and analyzing the material on record.

Furthermore, prayer has been in session in the mosque next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple since February 1 at ‘Vyas tehkhana’. Judge Agarwal said, rejecting the two submitted appeals.