Amidst the ongoing controversy surrounding the Gyanvapi Mosque complex in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed his views on the matter. He believes that referring to Gyanvapi as a mosque complex would only fuel disputes, and instead, it should be called Gyanvapi without any religious label.
“If we call it a mosque, there will be a dispute. We should just call it Gyanvapi. I believe that whomever God has blessed with sight should be able to see. What on earth does a trishul (trident) do in a mosque?”, the chief minister said in an interview.
The chief minister said, “You may change history, but you can’t change the historical facts that the walls (of Gyanvapi) are screaming and saying.
The Chief Minister suggested that a proposal should come from the Muslim side acknowledging the historical discrepancies and working towards finding a solution. He mentioned that the walls of Gyanvapi itself hold historic evidence that should not be disregarded.
The Gyanvapi Mosque issue is currently under scrutiny, and the Allahabad High Court is expected to deliver a verdict on a petition against a lower court’s order for a survey by the Archaeological Survey of India inside the mosque complex, except the ‘wuzukhana’ (fountain). The ruling is anticipated to be announced on August 3.
CM Yogi Adityanath also called for a focus on development and appealed to the Muslim community to move away from the controversies. He cited the example of Pakistan’s current situation and expressed his belief that one should learn from past mistakes to avoid a similar fate.
