Repeal the Places of Worship Act : Kashi Dharma Parishad

Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) – The Kashi Dharma Parishad has demanded that the Places of Worship Act, 1991 be repealed as it violates the basic rights of Hindus.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 Mandir.

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 to discuss the Issues related to Gyanvapi and other religious places.
Addressing the meeting, Dr Mridula Jaiswal (Assistant Professor at the Department of History, Banaras Hindu University) 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.

Courtesy : Capital TV

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“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”, Dr Mridula Jaiswal added.

Advocate Atma Prakash Singh presented legal evidence of the fundamental rights of Hindus to worship along with the Places of Worship Act, 1991.

“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”, was one of the resolutions in the Parishad.

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.