Ram Temple priest reacts to Varanasi court's order allowing prayers in Gyanvapi mosque's cellar

Ayodhya: Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Chief Priest Acharya Satyendra Das on Wednesday reacted to Varanasi district court's order allowing the Hindu side to hold prayers inside the Gyanvapi mosque, saying a wrong has been been rectified.

"An order has been given that prayers were performed there and that should continue. It is good that the right to perform the 'Puja' has been given. The truth has come out," he said.

"Those who stopped the Puja and the way in which it was stopped, were wrong... I thank the court for giving me the right to perform Puja. It is a matter of joy... Halting the Puja was wrong, but now the wrong has been rectified," he said.

The Varanasi district court on Wednesday granted the family of a late priest the right to worship Hindu deities in the Gyanvapi mosque cellar.

The order was passed by judge A K Vishvesh, who directed the district magistrate to make arrangements within seven days to facilitate puja inside the mosque.

Priest Somnath Vyas used to perform prayers in the cellar till 1993. However, the practice stopped when the cellar was closed by the Varanasi authorities.

Shailendra Kumar Pathak, the grandson of Vyas, had moved the court over the right to perform prayers in the cellar.

The Hindu side's lawyer said the prayers were stopped during Mulayam Singh Yadav's rule.

The Muslim side will challenge the ruling in the Allahabad High Court.

Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side, said there was no written order by the government to stop Hindu devotees from offering prayers inside the complex.

"As soon as arrangements are made, Hindu devotees will start offering prayers. Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust does not need any order to make arrangements for prayers. We have done our legal work. It is up to the Trust to start the prayers within seven days," he said.

"And one state government had misused its power to stop the Hindu devotees from offering prayers there. Today, the court rectified it with its pen. And gave the order to allow the prayers," he added.

The Gyanvapi mosque has four cellars in the basement. The Vyas family has control over one of them.

The development comes days after the ASI survey report said the mosque was built on the remains of a large Hindu temple.