Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh suggests out-of-court settlement on Gyanvapi issue

Varanasi (UP), Aug 15 (IANS) The Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh (VVSS) international president Jitendra Singh Visen, a pleader for plaintiff number 1 Rakhi Singh in the Shringar Gauri-Gyanvapi case, has written an open letter, inviting the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee (AIMC) to hold a discussion for a peaceful out-of-court settlement of the Gyanvapi case with mutual consent.

The letter is addressed to the president, manager and the joint secretary of the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, which looks after the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi.

Visen’s open letter reads, “It is known to all that the Hindu side and the Muslim side are contesting a legal battle in the court regarding the Gyanvapi campus to prove their respective stand right. Some anti-social elements want to take advantage of this legal fight between the both the parties (Hindu side and Muslim side) for their personal gains, which can prove to be harmful for both the country and the society.”

“In such a situation, it becomes the duty of all of us to set an example by settling this legal matter peacefully through mutual negotiations, taking care of the safety and security of our country and society,” Visen said.

“Therefore, I request all of you to accept this invitation with an open and pious mind and come forward for talks to settle the above issue (the Gyanvapi matter). It is possible that a peaceful solution can be found outside the court of the above matter by mutual discussion. We welcome all of you to this talk with an open and pure heart,” Visen said.

Confirming the letter, Visen said, “I have written this open letter and released it through the media to invite the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee for a discussion for peaceful out of court settlement of the Gyanvapi case with mutual consent.”

Reacting to the development, Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee’s joint secretary SM Yasin said, “I have not received the letter yet. Let the letter come, after seeing it, we will make any comment on it.”

Five women -- Rakhi Singh, Rekha Pathak, Sita Sahu, Lakshmi Devi and Manju Vyas -- had filed a suit in the court of civil judge senior division, Varanasi in August 2021, seeking the right to daily worship at Shringar Gauri Sthal in the Gyanvapi complex.

The matter was transferred to the court of the Varanasi district judge in May last year. The matter is pending before the Varanasi district court and the next hearing is on August 17.

Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi, counsel for Rekha Pathak, Sita Sahu, Lakshmi Devi and Manju Vyas, said, “I don’t want to comment on the letter as I haven’t seen it yet. Our stand is clear that we will follow the legal way, which we followed in this matter since the beginning. In May this year, we filed an application in the Varanasi district court, seeking an order for the ASI survey in Gyanvapi. After hearing both sides, the court on July 21 ordered a survey by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in the barricaded area of Gyanvapi, excluding its sealed area.”