Hindu Petitioner Writes To Gyanvapi Mosque Committee For Out Of Court Settlement: Report

One of the five Hindu petitioners in the Gyanvapi Mosque-Shringar Gauri case has written to the mosque committee to seek an out of court settlement, according to a report. 

The petitioner, Rakhi Singh, said in a letter to the committee that some anti-social elements want to take the advantage of their legal fight which would be harmful for the country and the society. The letter was written by Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh (VVSS) international president Jitendra Singh Visen, who is pleader for Singh in the case.

The development comes at a time when the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is conducting a scientific survey through non-invasive techniques in the Gyanvapi Mosque premises. The survey was sought by the petitioners and was approved by the courts. The matter reached the Supreme Court and the SC approved it.

In a letter to Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee (AIMC) of Gyanvapi Mosque, Singh said "it becomes the duty of all of us to set an example" by arriving at a peaceful out of court settlement in the legal case, reported IANS. 

Singh is among the five Hindu devotees who filed a petition in a Varanasi court in 2021 to seek rights to pray daily before the idols on the outer walls of the Gyanvapi Mosque. The mosque is built next to the iconic Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, which was razed during the medieval times and was built again on site other than the original plot by a Hindu ruler. 

While Singh has withdrawn, the four other petitioners, Rekha Pathak, Sita Sahu, Lakshmi Devi, and Manju Vyas, continue to press for the resolution of the matter in the court of law, said the report.  The matter would next be heard in the Varanasi District Court on Thursday. 

"Therefore, I request all of you to accept this invitation with an open and pious mind and come forward for talks to settle the above issue (the Gyanvapi matter). It is possible that a peaceful solution can be found outside the court of the above matter by mutual discussion. We welcome all of you to this talk with an open and pure heart," says the letter, as per IANS.

This is not the first time that Singh has taken a different route than the others. Earlier in June, it was reported that she had withdrawn from the Gyanvapi-related cases. 

"I and my family (wife Kiran Singh and niece Rakhi Singh) are withdrawing from all Gyanvapi-related cases that we had filed in the interest of the country and religion in various courts," said Visen at the time.