Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath termed the naming of Gyanvapi mosque ‘unfortunate' and said it is Lord Vishwanath referring to Lord Shiva.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said Gyanvapi is Lord Vishwanath himself and it is ‘unfortunate’ that people associated the name with a mosque, referring to the Gyanvapi Mosque in the city of Varanasi.
VIDEO | "Unfortunately, people call Gyanvapi a mosque, but it is actually 'Vishwanath' (Lord Shiva) himself, " said Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) speaking during an event in Gorakhpur earlier today.(Full video available on PTI Videos -… pic.twitter.com/9MAgI2ZP99
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 14, 2024
“Unfortunately, people call Gyanvapi a mosque, but it is actually ‘Vishwanath’ (Lord Shiva) himself,” Adityanath was heard saying in a video released by PTI.
Adityanath made these remarks while inaugurating an international seminar on “Contribution of Nath Panth in Building a Harmonious Society” at the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University, where he also highlighted the spiritual significance of Kashi and the revered site of Gyanvapi.
His statement also follows a Varanasi court’s decision on the Gyanvapi case on Thursday. The court rejected a petition from the Hindu side, which had requested the District Magistrate to order repairs to the basement of Vyas Ji within the Gyanvapi mosque complex.
He later posted his remark on his official social media handle with the caption: “Today people call Gyanvapi a mosque in other words, but Gyanvapi is actually Vishwanath,” he said.
The Gyanvapi issue has been at the centre of a long-drawn legal battle with the Hindu side arguing that the Gyanvapi mosque was allegedly built on the remains of a pre-existing temple, while the Muslim side has contested the claim.
The Samajwadi Party (SP) targeted the chief minister over his remark even as the BJP and some saints of Ayodhya rallied around in his support.
Reacting to the statement made by the UP chief minister, SP spokesperson Abbas Haidar told PTI, “It seems that he (Yogi Adityanath) does not give respect to the court. The matter is pending in the court. It is unfortunate that the chief minister has taken the oath of the Constitution, but it seems he is not giving due respect to the court.
“For his vested political interests, he is dividing the society. The mandate given by the public to the BJP also indicates that they have not spoken on issues related to people,” Haidar alleged.
