Allahabad High Court Rejects Plea, Permits Continuation of Puja Inside Gyanvapi Mosque

Varanasi court ruled that priests could perform prayers before the idols in the cellar of the Gyanvapi Masjid. Following this decision, the priest conducted a religious ceremony on the premises at midnight, with preparations for the puja starting soon after the court's order. The ceremony was carried out under heavy security.

Gyanvapi Masjid committee on Thursday to appeal to the Allahabad High Court against a Varanasi district court's decision permitting a Hindu priest to conduct prayers before idols in a cellar of the mosque. Lawyers representing the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee sought an urgent hearing from the Supreme Court registrar. The registrar informed them that Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud had instructed them to approach the high court.

In their plea, advocates Nizam Pasha and Fuzail Ahmad Ayyubi argued that the local administration had hastily deployed a large police force to the site and was in the process of removing grills from the southern side of the mosque following the district court's order. In response to this Allahabad High Court decline their request and says the puja inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex to continue puja.