Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque case petitioner receives life threat, gets security

VARANASI: A petitioner in the Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque dispute case has allegedly received a life threat, after which he has been provided security, police said on Saturday. Harihar Pandey has been provided security on the orders of Varanasi Police Commissioner A Satish Ganesh and they are investigating the case, a police officer said.

Pandey said when he reached home after a fast-track court order in the case on Thursday, he received a call from an unknown number.

He claimed that the person gave his name as Yasin and said, "Pandeyji, you have won the case but will not be able to enter the archaeological surveyed temple. You and your colleagues will be killed."

A Varanasi court on Thursday ordered an archaeological survey of the Kashi Vishwanath temple and the Gyanvapi mosque premises. In its order, the court asked the Uttar Pradesh government to get examined the disputed premises by a five-member team of the Archaeological Survey of India at its expense.

The plea in the case had contended that the mosque in Varanasi is a part of the temple.