UP : Repeal the Places of Worship Act, demands Kashi Dharma Parishad

Varanasi : The Kashi Dharma Parishad on Friday demanded that the Places of Worship Act, 1991 should be repealed as “it violates the basic rights of Hindus”. The Parishad also claimed that the Hindus have the fundamental right to worship the Jyotirlinga of Adi Vishweshwar in the Gyanvapi temple.

The Parishad is a body of Varanasi’s Hindu religious leaders, including seers and mahants and scholars. The demand was raised at a meeting of seers, historians and social workers organised at Lamahi village on Friday to discuss the issues related to Gyanvapi and other religious places.

Addressing the meeting, an assistant professor at the Department of History, Banaras Hindu University, Dr Mridula Jaiswal made a PowerPoint presentation about the Muslim invasion of Kashi. She said that there is evidence that Aurangzeb had built the mosque in 1669 AD by demolishing the temple of Adi Vishweshwar.

“A clear evidence of this is present in the book Masir-e-Alamgiri by Saki Mustaid Khan. English traveller Ralph Fitch and Peter Mandi have mentioned the worship of Adi Vishweshwar. Not only this, French travellers Bernier and Tavernier have described the worship of Adi Vishveshwara in 1665 AD,” she added.

Speaking on the occasion, advocate Atma Prakash Singh presented the legal evidence of the fundamental right of Hindus to worship along with the Places of Worship Act, 1991.

Passing resolutions, the Kashi Dharma Parishad demanded that the Places of Worship Act, 1991 should be repealed as it violates the basic rights of Hindus.

“Hindus have the fundamental right to worship the Jyotirlinga in the Gyanvapi temple. Right to worship, darshan should be given to Hindus immediately. There should be a ban on offering namaz on the top floor of the Gyanvapi. Similarly, the lower part of the Gyanvapi should be opened for Hindus for darshan. Besides, those who tampered with the holiest Jyotirlinga of Adi Vishweshwar should be immediately booked and arrested,” the resolution added.

It was also decided that the truth of the history of the temples of Kashi which were destroyed by Muslim invaders between 1033 AD and 1707 will be searched. A team of historians will be formed to re-evaluate the damage caused to Sanatan Dharma by the invaders.

The meeting was presided over by the president of Kashi Dharma Parishad Mahant Balak Das of Patalpuri Mutt. The meeting was attended by the Mahant Shravan Das of the ancient Shiva temple in Bhadaini locality, Mahant Umesh Das of Lota Tilamath of Ishwargangi, historian and president of Vishal Bharat Sansthan Dr Rajiv, Mahant Vijayram Das, Mahant Awadh Bihari Das, Mahant Rajaram Das and others.

Source :  Times of India