The Supreme Court will continue hearing the Gyanvapi mosque dispute on Wednesday after both the Hindu and Muslim sides declined mediation, saying the matter should be decided through judicial proceedings rather than an out-of-court settlement.
The parties appeared before a mediation centre at a Varanasi district court under the Supreme Court’s Supreme Court Action for Mediated Adjudication and Disputes Harmonisation Across Nation (SAMADHAN SAMAROH) initiative, which aims to facilitate settlements in pending cases ahead of a special Lok Adalat.
However, both sides informed the mediation panel that they were unwilling to resolve the dispute through negotiations.
Muslim Side Says Issue Cannot Be Settled Through Mediation
Anjuman Intizamia Masajid, which manages the Gyanvapi mosque, declined to participate in the mediation process.
Its joint secretary, SM Yaseen, said, “The Gyanvapi matter is a hyper-sensitive one, and such disputes cannot be settled following mediation.”
He added, “There are more than 35 litigants from the Hindu side, and practically, it is not possible to decide such a dispute with mediation. There is no point being part of such exercises since the matter would not have gone to the court or been left pending for so many years if both sides had the option to decide it mutually.”
Yaseen further said, “The Hindu side, too, definitely is not ready to hold such out-of-the-court discussions because that would be a futile exercise. We all want the court to decide the case on merit.”
Hindu Side Reiterates Its Stand
Speaking to reporters after the mediation proceedings, counsel for the Hindu side, Madan Mohan Yadav, said the Muslim side had declined the proposal.
“The Muslim side said several similar matters are pending before the Supreme Court, and they would abide by the court’s verdict. They are not willing to accept mediation,” Yadav said.
He said the Hindu side also reiterated its position before the mediation committee.
“We informed the mediation centre that the Muslim side is an encroacher at Gyanvapi and should vacate the premises so that a grand Kashi Vishwanath temple can be built at the original Jyotirlinga site,” he said.
Supreme Court’s Settlement Initiative
The mediation was conducted under the Supreme Court’s SAMADHAN SAMAROH initiative, which seeks to encourage amicable settlements in pending disputes before a special Lok Adalat.
Another round of mediation under the initiative is scheduled later this month. However, with both parties rejecting negotiations, the dispute is expected to continue through judicial proceedings.
Background
The Gyanvapi dispute concerns competing claims over the religious character of the mosque complex adjoining the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi.
The Hindu side contends that the mosque was built after the demolition of a pre-existing Kashi Vishwanath temple during the Mughal period and seeks restoration of the original temple site. The Muslim side maintains that the mosque is a legally recognised Waqf property and rejects those claims.
The matter has been pending before various courts for several years and is currently being heard by the Supreme Court.
