The Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee (AIMC), overseeing Gyanvapi Mosque, has communicated to the Varanasi district magistrate via a letter that that most of the fish in a tank (hauz) located in the wazukhana of Gyanvapi Mosque are dead.
The Gyanvapi Mosque is situated in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
Following a Supreme Court directive in May 2022, the 'wazukhana,' serving as an ablution area at the Gyanvapi mosque, was sealed. This section accommodates the disputed reservoir, claimed as a shivling by the Hindu side and a fountain by the Muslim side.
The letter, authored by Mufti-e-Banaras and Anjuman Intejamia Masjid's secretary, Abdul Batin NomanI reads, “As the water tank is in the sealed portion, it has not been cleaned, nor water drained. . As a result, most of the fish have died and foul smell is spreading around which lead to spread of a disease. If disease spreads it may affect the CRPF jawans deployed there, worshippers and visitors to the Vishwanath temple as well,” read
Before the sealing, AIMC ensured regular water changes in the hauz and daily feeding of fish, according to Yasin. AIMC has appealed to the district magistrate to promptly arrange for the proper cleaning of the tank and drainage.
Background
The legal dispute revolves around the historical claim that a Hindu temple was demolished in the past, and a mosque was constructed at the same site.
In August 2021, four Hindu devotees filed a petition seeking the right to perform daily prayers in front of Hindu idols on the outer walls of the Gyanvapi mosque.
On the order a local court, on May 16, the wazukhana was sealed. On May 17, 2022, the Supreme Court ordered to protect the portion of the mosque, where the Shivling was claimed to have been found.
On August 3, the Allahabad High Court granted permission for the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a "scientific survey/excavation" of the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
