In a significant development, the Supreme Court has taken up the plea of the Gyanvapi mosque committee challenging an Allahabad High Court order regarding the maintainability of lawsuits for the "restoration" of a temple. The apex court, comprising a bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud along with justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, agreed to tag the plea with other pending matters related to the dispute.
"We will tag this with the main case," stated the bench, indicating its intent to consolidate the proceedings and address the matter comprehensively.
The Allahabad High Court had previously dismissed a series of petitions filed by the Muslim side, contesting the maintainability of the civil suit in question. The court's order upheld the stance that a civil suit seeking the restoration of a temple, currently under consideration by a Varanasi court, is indeed maintainable. Furthermore, the High Court emphasized that the determination of the "religious character" of a disputed site falls under the purview of the judiciary.
The suit seeks the restoration of a temple at the site where the Gyanvapi mosque currently stands. According to the Hindu side, the mosque is believed to be constructed on the remains of a temple, making it an integral part of the religious structure.