Gyanvapi row: Hindu, Muslim sides reject mediation, ask courts to decide dispute

Both the Hindu and Muslim sides in the Gyanvapi dispute on Tuesday rejected mediation and said the matter should be decided by the courts, following the Supreme Court's initiative to explore an amicable settlement in major religious site cases.

The parties appeared before the mediation centre at a Varanasi court as part of the Supreme Court's 'Supreme Court Action for Mediated Adjudication and Disputes Harmonisation Across Nation' (SAMADHAN SAMAROH) initiative, which is aimed at encouraging the settlement of pending cases ahead of a special Lok Adalat scheduled for August 21 to 23.

After the proceedings, Hindu side counsel Madan Mohan Yadav told reporters that the Muslim side had declined mediation. "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 conveyed its stand before the mediator. "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," Yadav said.

Earlier, parties in the Gyanvapi, Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Eidgah in Mathura and Sambhal Shahi Jama Masjid disputes had indicated that they preferred judicial adjudication over an out-of-court settlement under the Supreme Court's mediation initiative. The Gyanvapi dispute centres on conflicting claims over the religious character of the mosque complex next to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi. The Hindu side claims the mosque was built after a temple was demolished during the Mughal era, while the Muslim side says it is a legitimate Waqf property and disputes the Hindu claims.

Both sides in the Gyanvapi matter ruled out mediation before the Varanasi court and maintained that the dispute should be resolved through the judicial process.