Hand over Gyanvapi site to Hindus, demands VHP

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 27

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a sister organisation of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, on Saturday cited the Archaeological Survey of India report to demand the return of Varanasi’s Gyanvapi mosque site to the Hindu side.

The Hindus believe a Lord Shiva temple was razed to build the mosque. The matter is in a Varanasi court. International working president of the VHP Alok Kumar in a statement today said the ASI evidence from Gyanvapi structure reconfirms that the mosque had been constructed after demolishing a temple.

“A part of the temple structure, particularly the western wall, is the remaining part of the Hindu temple. The report also proves that parts of the pre-existing temple, including pillars and pilasters were reused with modifications to extend the span of the mosque,” Kumar said.

He said the Shivling in what was called the ‘wazukhana’ left no doubt that the structure did not have the character of a mosque.

“The discovery of the names, including the Janardana, Rudra and Umeswara, in the inscriptions found in the structure are the tell-tale evidence of this being a temple,” he said.

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