Ajmer Dargah chief’s big advice on how to resolve Gyanvapi, Mathura mosques row

Ajmer Dargah chief Syed Zainul Abedin has said disputes involving Varanasi’s Gyanvapi and Mathura’s Shahi Idgah mosques should be solved amicably, outside the courts. He said any dispute should be resolved by mutual consent.

Addressing a conference titled “Paigam-e-Mohabbat Hum Sab Ka Bharat” organised by the Rajasthan unit of All India Sufi Sajjadanshin Council, Abedin said India is playing a positive role in restoring peace in the world by following the civilization of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, reported PTI.

“India is playing its role in world peace, so efforts should be made to resolve the internal issues of our country peacefully outside the courts… All that is needed is a strong initiative,” he said.

He also said the Muslim community is being misled on the Citizenship Amendment Act.

“The reality is that after a detailed analysis of the provisions of the Act, we found that the law has nothing to do with Indian Muslims and that the law will not affect them. It will benefit the persecuted minority immigrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh. This is not going to take away the Indian citizenship of anyone,” he added.

The citizenship of any Indian cannot be taken away because there is no such provision in the law, he added.

The Hindu side claims the mosques were built by the Mughals on the ruins of the temples they demolished.

Earlier this month, a Varanasi court allowed the family of a priest to perform Hindu prayers in one of the cellars of the Gyanvapi mosque’s basement.

The Hindu side claims the court-ordered ASI survey of the mosque in Varanasi, situated adjacent to the ancient Kashi Vishwanath temple, was built after razing a Hindu temple. They claimed last month that the agency found remnants of a temple inside the mosque.