On May 24, during a debate on the disputed structure at Gyanvapi, the Hindu side lawyer Vishnu Jain alleged that the Shivling was willfully desecrated by the Muslim side to install a fountain-like structure. He added that a 63cm hole was drilled in the Shivling to make it look like a fountain structure.
Jain said the said structure was still present in the storage room and the Muslim side tried to remove it but CRPF had stopped them.
Vishnu Jain was speaking at CNN-News18’s program The Right Stand hosted by anchor Anand Narasimhan. When Anand asked if the Hindu petitioner can prove maintainability, Jain said, “We can definitely prove that our case is maintainable. Yesterday I applied to court that to examine the maintainability of the case, it is crucial and important that the commission’s report must also be read along with the maintainability issue. The court has asked for the officers of both sides. The issue now is whether the character of the structure is a Hindu temple or the temple has been converted into a mosque. Our submission is if you see the ground reality after submitting the report, my deity is standing there. My deity is visible there. My deity is Viraajman there.”
He added, “I am asking myself, in whose favour the Places of Worship Act is attracted? They are speaking about section 4. I would like to tell them kindly have a look at section 3. After the commencement of the Act, no one can change the religious character of the property in question. It is an admitted fact that for the past so many years, my deity has been trampled upon. There has been sacrilege. I want to ask Maulana Ji, we have given an application to remove the wall in Wazukhana and see the size of the structure you call a fountain. Let’s see where the water is coming from. But your advocates are challenging it in the court. How you and your advocates are giving contradictory statements? If you really want to prove it is a fountain, let’s join the issue and tell the court that the wall should be removed in Wazukahana.”
He added, “Shivling was in their possession in Wazukhana, and they did sacrilege. They created a structure on the Shivling with cement. That structure is placed in their storeroom. A few days ago, they tried to remove the structure, but they were stopped by CRPF. We know they did sacrilege to our deity. We are fighting for it. We have found the Shivling, and it is every Hindu’s duty to worship that Shivling.
When Maulana said we respect the Hindus and their religion, Jain lashed out at him and said, “Your advocates said in Supreme Court that wazu must happen there. What kind of respect is this?”
Maulana then tried to bring the Deen Muhammad case that took place pre-Independence, but Jain interrupted him and said Hindus were not even party in that case then how can that case be referred to today.
When Anand asked about the alleged incident where the Muslim side tried to remove the so-called fountain structure from the premises, Jain said, “I am speaking with complete authority. The structure that they had placed on the Shivling is still in their storeroom. They were trying to remove it. We will show videography and photograph of the storeroom in the court. How they desecrated the Shivling, we will show in the court. We will show how there is a 63cm hole was made in the Shivling.
