Hindus can now pray in the 17th-century Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi, India, thanks to a recent court decision. However, this has sparked controversy because some allege the mosque was constructed after a temple was destroyed. The ruling deepens the rift that has existed for a long time between the dominant Hindu population of India and the nation's third-largest Muslim population, escalating conflicts over holy sites since the country's independence in 1947.

Hindu organizations claim that the Gyanvapi Mosque, which is in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary constituency, was built over the ruins of a destroyed temple. This assertion has put the mosque in the heart of religious and cultural disputes.

He announced last week that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had shown that the mosque was constructed on top of a demolished Hindu temple and that the mosque's basement included pieces of statues honoring Hindu gods.

When contacted for comment, the ASI remained silent.

The petitioners' Muslim attorney, Akhlaq Ahmad, stated that the ruling would be challenged in a higher court.

According to Jain, the district government was instructed by the court to arrange for Hindus to be permitted to pray there in seven days.

Prime Minister Modi recently dedicated a large temple in Ayodhya, which was constructed on the disputed site of a 16th-century mosque that was destroyed in 1992, underscoring Hindu claims to sensitive locations. This action has been framed as a sign of a Hindu reawakening and fulfills a long-standing promise made by Modi's Hindu nationalist party. While Modi refutes these claims, critics claim it represents a pro-Hindu agenda that discriminates against Muslims.

An impending national election coincides with the temple inauguration, which could help Modi's chances of winning an uncommon third term. Muslim petitioners intend to appeal the Varanasi court verdict in the high court after expressing disapproval of it there.