India: UP CM Yogi says 'Gyanvapi not mosque, but actually Lord Shiva temple'

Chief Minister of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,Yogi Adityanath, on Saturday (Sep 14) made a big claim, saying that Varanasi's Gyanvapi mosque is actually a 'temple of Lord Shiva' and called it'Vishwanath'.

Amid the ongoing controversy over the mosque, the CM Yogi, while addressing a gathering at an event in UP's Gorakhpur, said, "Unfortunately, people call Gyanvapi a mosque, but it is actually 'Vishwanath' (Lord Shiva) himself".

He further said that the devotees visiting the holy site regret that this confusion over its true identity or name is the biggest issue, not only in terms of worshipping but also in national unity and integrity.

"Had our society ever understood and identified this hurdle in the past, our country would have never been colonised", the chief minister added.

The controversy

Some Hindu activists challenged that a temple existed earlier at the disputed Gyanvapi mosque site and was demolished in the 17th century followingthe orders of Muslim emperor Aurangzeb. The claim was, however, rejected by the Muslim side.

In February this year, a Varanasi court allowed Hindu devotees to worship inside the sealed basement of Gyanvapi mosque. According to the order, the devotees were allowed to offer prayers at 'Vyas Ka Tekhana', a prohibited area inside the mosque.

Watch |India: Survey of Gyanvapi Mosque resumes

Earlier this week, Hindu activists appealed to a Varanasi court to allow the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) to dig into the premises for a survey.

The judge has scheduled the next hearing on September 18 on the petition demanding an ASI survey of the remaining parts of the Gyanvapi complex, according to a lawyer.

(With inputs from agencies)