The Varanasi court, on Wednesday, posted May 19 as the date to hear an application filed by the advocates of the plaintiffs to demolish the wall beneath the ‘wazu khana’ of Gyanvapi mosque where ‘Shivling’ is claimed to have been found during the survey.

The court will also hear on the same day the application filed by the government lawyer to shift the fishes from the sealed wazu khana to safer place.

The lawyers of the plaintiffs in the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri case had submitted an application in the court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar, demanding demolition of the wall beneath the ‘wazu khana’ in Gyanvapi mosque complex where a ‘Shivling’ is claimed to have been found during the survey of the Gyanvapi premises.

The government lawyer also filed an application in the same court demanding shifting of the fishes from the sealed wazu khana as their lives were at stake.

Both the applications were to be taken up for hearing on Wednesday but the court proceedings could not begin as the lawyers were on strike. So the court posted the date for the next hearing on May 19.

The civil judge (senior division) had ordered the survey and videography of the Gyanvapi premises. The lawyers of the plaintiff have claimed that a ‘Shivling’ was found in the wazu khana of the Gyanvapi mosque during the videography and survey conducted for three days from May 14 to 16 under the leadership of Court Commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra and two commissioners Vishal Singh and Ajay Pratap Singh in the presence of advocates of both plaintiffs and defendant and representatives of the government, district administration and Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple.  However, the advocates of the defendant claim that it is a fountain and not a ‘Shivling’.

After the claims and counterclaims, the court had ordered the district administration to seal the place where the ‘Shivling ‘was claimed to be found during the survey. The court also prohibited the entry of any person in this area.  However, the Supreme Court has allowed Muslims to offer namaz and perform religious observance without any impediment.