Gyanvapi Case: Varanasi Court's Ruling 'Clear Violation' of Places of Worship Act, Says CPI(M)

New Delhi: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has said the decision of the district court in Varanasi in the Gyanvapi mosque case is in "clear violation" of the aim behind the Places of Worship Act, 1991.

The court on Monday said it will continue to hear a petition seeking daily worship of Hindu deities whose idols are located on an outer wall of the Gyanvapi Masjid, dismissing the mosque committee's argument that the case is not maintainable.

It said the 1991 Act does not apply in this case -- where the devotees are seeking permission for daily worship of the idols they say are already installed there.

"Wrong interpretations of the law by sections of the judiciary will lead to serious consequences of the kind that the law was meant to prevent. It is no secret that the ruling party is hell-bent on a distorted interpretation of history to target minority communities.

"The claim that present-day mosques were built on sites where temples were destroyed has been a longstanding method to whip up religious sentiments and to use this for a communal agenda," the CPI(M) said in a statement.

The party further said the 1991 law came into effect to uphold the national interest of communal harmony and to prevent a plethora of motivated petitions such as those in Mathura and Varanasi.

"The CPI(M) reiterates its support for the strict implementation of the 1991 law based on the spirit behind and the intention of the law," the Left party said.

Order Fulfils BJP’s ‘Polarisation’ Agenda: Mehbooba

In Jammu, Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday called the Varanasi Court's decision in the Gyanvapi mosque case a clear violation of the Places of Worship Act and fulfils the BJP's agenda of "polarisation".

She claimed that BJP has nothing to offer to the people as it has miserably failed in providing jobs and controlling inflation and "if the situation continues like this, we might become Vishwaguru in breaking mosques rather than in any other thing."

"My viewpoint is that the court is itself not honouring their own orders and the 1991 Act which mandates 1947 status quo on religious structures," Mehbooba told reporters here, adding that it shows that BJP has nothing to offer to the people as it failed to provide jobs and control inflation.

Earlier in a tweet, she said, "Court ruling on Gyanvapi despite Places of Worship Act will lead to rabble rousing & create a communal atmosphere which ironically plays into BJP's agenda. Its a sorry state of affairs that Courts don't follow their own rulings."

The former chief minister said barring two people, the countrymen are getting poorer with each passing day and "to divert the attention, they (BJP) are playing the communal card to pit Hindus and Muslims against each other."

Referring to the statements of BJP leadership that India is heading to be 'Vishwaguru' under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mehbooba said, "we might become Vishwaguru in breaking the mosques rather than in any other thing."

She said the people of the country need to understand that BJP is at the forefront of dividing Hindus and Muslims and is trampling the constitution for its interest.

The PDP leader referred to the abrogation of Article 370 and reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir and said, "the whole country watched how the ruling party with its brute majority violated the constitution and snatched the fundamental rights of the people of the erstwhile state."

"You are unable to speak, journalists and activists are being jailed and slapped with Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and politicians are being silenced. The people are slowly understanding that BJP is violating the constitution," she said.