Amid Gyanvapi Mosque row, Meenakshi Lekhi has 'suggestion' for Owaisi and Mufti

Amid the political slugfest over the survey at the historic Gyanvapi Mosque complex in Varanasi, Union minister Meenakshi Lekhi on Monday asked All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti to maintain “peace and brotherhood”, suggesting them to “read history again”.

Owaisi recently said Muslims in India have lost Babri Masjid, but they will not lose another mosque. On Monday, he claimed the mosque will remain till eternity.

Mufti, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, slammed the BJP-led Centre over the Gyanvapi Mosque row, and said that "they are after all our mosques".

At a press conference, Mufti said, "They are after all our mosques. They are after the Gyanvapi Mosque now. Our God is wherever we worship; give us a list of all mosques you are eyeing..."

"Would everything be okay when they take all of it?" she asked.

Hitting back, Lekhi said the leaders should not disturb the environment.

“I want to say to them to maintain peace and brotherhood and also suggest them to read history again. The matter is in the court, they should not interfere and disturb the environment,” news agency ANI quoted Lekhi as saying.

Meanwhile, as the third day of the court-ordered videography survey of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple-Gyanvapi Mosque complex concluded on Monday, the Hindu petitioner in the case, Sohan Lal Arya claimed that the committee found a Shivling at the complex.

Arya, who accompanied the court commission for the mosque survey, said that they have found "conclusive evidence".

Rais Ahmad Ansari, an advocate of the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee which manages the Gyanvapi Mosque, however, said the claim is misleading.

Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said he was happy about reports claiming the existence of a ‘Shivling’ at the complex.

“The news of a 'Shivling' being found on (Gyanvapi) mosque premises is a good one for me and for all Shiva followers in the country,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.

This comes a day ahead of the Supreme Court's hearing on a plea seeking a stay on the survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque complex. A bench, headed by Justice DY Chandrachud, will hear the plea of the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee on Tuesday.