The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to urgently hear a petition by the Gyanvapi masjid committee challenging the Varanasi Court’s order allowing prayers at sealed premises of the mosque.
According to reports, following the district court’s order, the masjid committee approached the Supreme Court’s registrar on Wednesday night, seeking an urgent hearing on a plea seeking to maintain the status quo at the site. The committee raised apprehensions that poojas would be conducted on Wednesday night itself and the district administration was acting in hot haste, pre-empting any legal challenge by the mosque committee.
Advocate Fuzail Ahmad Ayyub, representing the mosque committee informed the Supreme Court, “There is no reason for the administration to undertake this task in hot haste in the dead of the night as the order passed by the Trial Court had already given them one week to make the necessary arrangements. The obvious reason for such unseemly haste is that the administration in collusion with the plaintiffs is trying to foreclose any attempt by the Mosque Managing Committee to avail of their remedies against the said order by presenting them with a fait accompli,” LiveLaw reported.
However, they were asked to approach Allahabad High Court. Live Law reported that the apex court registrar informed the mosque committee’s lawyers that the Chief Justice of India advised them to approach the High Court.
Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday criticised the government’s haste and tweeted, “Due process has to be maintained while following any court order. The Varanasi Court fixed a 7-day period for it (making arrangements). What we are seeing now is a concerted effort to go beyond the due process and prevent any legal recourse that can be taken.”