Hearts of Hindus filled with joy: VHP after court allows priest to worship in Gyanvapi cellar

New Delhi: The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Wednesday welcomed a Varanasi court's decision to allow a priest to worship deities in the Gyanvapi mosque cellar, saying the judgement has filled the hearts of Hindus with joy.

The BJP refrained from commenting on the development, saying the matter is sub-judice.

"Today, a court in Kashi has given a very important decision filling the hearts of every Hindu with joy," Vishva Hindu Parishad working president Alok Kumar said after the Varanasi district court granted the grandson of Somnath Vyas the right to worship Hindu deities in the Gyanvapi mosque cellar. Vyas used to perform prayers there till 1993 when the cellar was closed by the authorities.

"We are glad that the court said that the petitioner and the Kashi Vishwanath can together appoint a pujari to ensure conduct of regular 'puja-archana' there. This has happened after 31 years," the VHP leader said.

Kumar congratulated the Hindu community over the court's decision and said, "We hope that after this, the court's verdict on the Gyanvapi case will also come soon."

"We are confident that the decision will come in favour of Hindus based on evidence and facts," he added.

Asked to comment on the court's order, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia told reporters at the party headquarters, "It's a sub-judice case. We should not be commenting on such matters." In its order earlier in the day, the Varanasi district court said directed the district magistrate to make arrangements within seven days to facilitate puja there by Shailendra Kumar Pathak, Hindu side counsel Madan Mohan Yadav said.

The order was passed by district court judge A K Vishvesh. According to the petition filed by Pathak, his maternal grandfather, priest Somnath Vyas, used to perform prayers there till 1993 when the cellar was closed by the authorities.

The prayers will be facilitated by the Kashi Vishwanath Trust, which manages the Kashi Vishwanath temple which stands adjacent to the mosque, Yadav said.

Hindu litigants claim the mosque was built after demolishing a part of the temple.