Allahabad HC adjourns hearing in Gyanvapi mosque case till November 10
Prayagraj (PTI): The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday adjourned hearing on a plea seeking a survey by the ASI of the 'wazukhana' area except for an alleged shivling inside the Gyanvapi mosque at Varanasi and fixed November 10 for the next hearing.
When the matter was taken up on Tuesday, a single bench of Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal was informed that the interim order passed by the Supreme Court is still operating.
In its interim order in the case of Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay vs. Union of India and others, the apex court had directed that no court across the country will pass any effective interim orders or final orders including orders for a survey of a religious place.
The top court had also directed that though fresh suits may be filed, no suits would be registered and no proceedings shall be undertaken therein till its further orders.
The petition has been filed challenging an order of a Varanasi district judge passed on October 21, 2023 which refused to direct the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to survey the wuzukhana (ablution) area except for the structure which the Hindu side calls a shivling and the Muslims describe as a fountain inside the Gyanvapi mosque located adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple.
A civil revision petition has been filed by Rakhi Singh, one of the plaintiffs, before the court challenging the district judge's order refusing to direct the ASI to undertake a survey of the wazukhana area except for the alleged shivling inside the Gyanvapi mosque.
In her revision petition, Singh pleaded that the survey of the wuzukhana area is necessary in the interest of justice. The revision petition has further said that the ASI survey of the wazukhana area is necessary so that the religious character of the entire property could be determined.
The ASI has already conducted a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi complex and has also submitted its report to the Varanasi district judge.
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Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
