Politics
Gyanvapi dispute: Petitioner says plea based on ‘British map’
Jitendra Singh Vishen, head of the Vishwa Vaidik Sanatan Sangh (VVSS), which is among the petitioners in the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi complex case, has said their petition is based on a “British-era map”, which also formed the basis of a court case filed in 1936 by three Muslims who had demanded that the land be handed over to the community.
Visen told reporters, “If you inspect the premises today, you can find that 90 per cent of the structures are according to the map. Moreover, in the ‘shastras’, Lord Ganesha is on the northern side of the Adi Vishweshwar Temple, while Shringar Gauri is on the western side and the southern side has Kartikeya. Many parts in the books may be correct but some questions may remain,” he added.
Advocate Anupam Dwivedi, one of the lawyers representing the petitioners, however, said the purpose of the court-ordered survey was to find out the exact location of the deities and admitted that only an examination could determine the correct location.
Earlier, Acharya Ashok Dwivedi, who was chairman of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust between 2013 and 2019, had claimed that two books about the history of Varanasi say the idols are located elsewhere.
The two books, he said, were ‘Varanasi Vaibhav’, written by scholar Kubernath Sukul, and ‘Kashi Gaurav’ by Shivananda Saraswati, a disciple of ‘Dharm Samrat’ Karpatri, a renowned spiritual leader.
“In the book by Sukul, on page 221, the presence of Maa Shringar Gauri has been mentioned (as located) on the ishan side (north-eastern) of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, and inside the Annapurna Temple (within the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Corridor). In another book by Shivananda Sarasvati, the presence of the deity has been mentioned as plot 3/58 in Mohalla Bansphatak (at a distance of over 100 metres from the Kashi Vishwanath Temple),” Dwivedi stated.
He alleged that, “People are trying to gain cheap publicity by filing such petitions.”
He further said, adding that a commission should be set up to locate the Maa Shringar Gauri idol.
Maa Shringar Gauri is believed to be a manifestation of Hindu God Shiva’s wife Parvati. A carving of the deity, according to the petitioners’ plea, is located along a platform to the back of the Gyanvapi Mosque, outside the barricading that surrounds it. The public is not allowed to offer prayers here except twice a year during Navratri.
It is the location of this ‘sthal’ that is being contested by Dwivedi, who claims that worship at the site mentioned in the petition began only after campaigns by Hindutva organisations.
“We and our families have been staying here for the past 800 years but have never heard that there was a Shringar Gauri Sthal at the place where it is being talked about. We only got to know about it when outfits like Shiv Sena and VHP started to offer water to the carvings there in 2004-2005,” Dwivedi said.
He also claimed that the Gyanvapi Mosque was previously known as ‘Alamgiri Masjid’, adding that this was acknowledged by historian James Princep in his book ‘Benares Illustrated’ (1833).
Crime
A powerful explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort… High alert across Delhi after the blast; 8 people killed; forensic team arrives at the scene.

New Delhi: A car explosion near Gate No. 1 of the Red Fort Metro Station on Monday evening caused widespread panic. The force of the blast was so intense that a part of the car landed on the Lal Mandir, located near the Red Fort. The temple’s glass shattered, and doors and windows of several nearby shops were damaged. Several people were reported injured in the incident.
Immediately after the blast, fires were reported in nearby shops. Tremors were felt as far as the Bhagirath Palace area of Chandni Chowk, and shopkeepers were seen calling each other to inquire about the situation. Several buses and other vehicles were also reported to have caught fire.
The fire department received a call about the car explosion in the evening. Following this, it immediately dispatched six ambulances and seven fire tenders to the scene. Relief and rescue operations are underway, and efforts are underway to control the fire.
The cause of the explosion is still unknown. Police have cordoned off the area, and investigating agencies are gathering evidence at the scene. Initial reports suggest the explosion occurred in a car, but its nature and cause are still unclear. Security has been increased throughout the Red Fort and Chandni Chowk areas following the incident.
Maharashtra
Mumbai arms supplier arrested from Ghatkopar depot

Mumbai: Police has claimed to have arrested an arms supplier from Ghatkopar Bus Depot who had come here to supply arms to Mumbai. The Mumbai Police Ghatkopar Anti-Gang Squad received information about this. The police laid a trap and took the accused into custody and recovered two country-made pistols and four live cartridges from his possession. During the investigation, the police asked him his name and he revealed his name as Ajay Kailash, a resident of Ujjain. The police have registered a case in this matter and started the investigation. Pantnagar Police has started the investigation in this matter to find out from where the accused had brought the arms to supply arms. This action was taken by DCP Rakesh Ola on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti.
National News
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis Orders World-Class Facilities, AI-Based Security At Jyotirlinga Temples

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday directed officials to ensure world-class facilities and a state-of-the-art integrated AI-based security system for devotees visiting Jyotirlinga shrines in the state.
During a meeting held at Varsha, his official residence, Fadnavis reviewed the development plans for the Bhimashankar Temple in Pune district, Aundha Nagnath Temple in Hingoli, and Grishneshwar Temple in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
“Jyotirlinga temples attract a large number of devotees throughout the year. Therefore, the development plans should be comprehensive and focused on creating excellent facilities and ensuring security,” he said.
The chief minister instructed officials to accelerate ongoing works and plan new ones effectively.
“An advanced, AI-based integrated security system should be developed to safeguard devotees and provide an immediate response during emergencies,” he said.
Fadnavis further said that facilities such as waiting halls, drinking water, accommodation, internal roads, cleanliness measures, information boards, tourist facilitation centres, parking management, emergency response systems, health facilities and eateries should be strengthened.
He emphasised that temple managements follow strict norms and residents and administrative bodies should be involved in planning and execution.
“Tourism projects that promote environmental conservation and local employment must be implemented quickly,” he said.
The chief minister said that the development plans presented at the meeting will receive funding after approval by a high-level committee, and he asked officials to organise a separate meeting with the Central government to secure clearances from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
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