‘Hindus won’t look at other temples if…’: Ram Temple official on Gyanvapi row

Govind Dev Giri Maharaj, the treasurer of Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust, has urged the Muslim side to give up the Gyanvapi and Mathura mosques in order to resolve the disputes peacefully. He said Hindus will not look at other temples if the Gyanvapi and Krishna Janmabhoomi issues are resolved amicably.

“We do not even desire to look at the other temples if three temples are freed because we have to live in the future and not in the past. The country’s future should be good and if we get these three temples (Ayodhya, Gyanvapi and Krishna Janmabhoomi) peacefully, we will forget about all other things,” he said at an event in Pune.

He said the demolition of temples in Ayodhya, Gyanvapi and Mathura are the biggest scars of the attacks by invaders and the Muslim side must understand this pain.

“I appeal with folded hands about all these 3 temples (Ayodhya, Gyanvapi and Krishna Janmabhoomi)… because these are the biggest scars of the attacks done by invaders. People are in pain, if they (Muslim side) can heal this pain peacefully then it will help in increasing brotherhood,” he added.

The Hindu side claims the Gyanvapi and Mathura mosques were built by the Mughals after demolishing grand Hindu temples.

Last month, the Hindu litigants claimed the ASI survey report said the Gyanvapi mosque was built on the remains of a grand Hindu temple.

Last week, a Varanasi court allowed puja inside one of the cellars of the Gyanvapi mosque.

The Allahabad high court later declined a stay on the Varanasi court order.

The Gyanvapi mosque is situated adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi. The Mathura mosque is situated adjacent to the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple.

Last week, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra chief priest Acharya Satyendra Das reacted to Varanasi district court’s order, saying a wrong was rectified.

“An order has been given that prayers were performed there and that should continue. It is good that the right to perform the ‘Puja’ has been given. The truth has come out. Those who stopped the Puja and the way in which it was stopped, were wrong… I thank the court for giving me the right to perform Puja. It is a matter of joy… Halting the Puja was wrong, but now the wrong has been rectified,” he said.