Supreme Court To Hear Gyanvapi Dispute Today After Hindu, Muslim Sides Reject Mediation

Published 15 July 2026 · local

Supreme Court To Hear Gyanvapi Dispute Today After Hindu, Muslim Sides Reject Mediation Published By, Last Updated: July 15, 2026, 10:02 IST Both the Hindu

Supreme Court To Hear Gyanvapi Dispute Today After Hindu, Muslim Sides Reject Mediation Published By, Last Updated: July 15, 2026, 10:02 IST Both the Hindu and Muslim sides rejected mediation in Gyanvapi dispute, saying the matter should be decided through judicial adjudication rather than an out-of-court settlement. Image of Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi. (Source: PTI) The Supreme Court will continue hearing the Gyanvapi dispute on Wednesday after both the Hindu and Muslim sides rejected mediation, saying the matter should be decided through judicial adjudication rather than an out-of-court settlement. The development comes after the parties appeared before the mediation centre at a Varanasi court under the Supreme Court’s ‘Supreme Court Action for Mediated Adjudication and Disputes Harmonisation Across Nation’ (SAMADHAN SAMAROH) initiative, which seeks to facilitate settlements in pending cases ahead of a special Lok Adalat scheduled from August 21 to 23.

Speaking to reporters after the mediation proceedings, counsel for the Hindu side, Madan Mohan Yadav, said the Muslim side declined the proposal. “The Muslim side said several similar matters are pending before the Supreme Court, and they would abide by the court’s verdict. They are not willing to accept mediation," Yadav said. Also Read: Gyanvapi Debate: Road to Communal Harmony Goes Via Truth and Reconciliation, Not Denial He said the Hindu side also reiterated its position before the mediator. “We informed the mediation centre that the Muslim side is an encroacher at Gyanvapi and should vacate the premises so that a grand Kashi Vishwanath temple can be built at the original Jyotirlinga site," Yadav said. The Supreme Court had encouraged the parties to explore the possibility of an amicable settlement under its SAMADHAN SAMAROH initiative.

However, both sides maintained that the dispute should be resolved by the courts. The Gyanvapi dispute concerns competing claims over the religious character of the mosque complex adjoining the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi. The Hindu side argues that the structure was erected after the demolition of a pre-existing temple during the Mughal era and seeks restoration of the original temple site. The Muslim side maintains that the mosque is a legally recognised Waqf property and rejects those assertions. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Key Questions Answered Could this case set a precedent for other religious sites? The Gyanvapi dispute, along with similar cases in Mathura and Sambhal, were part of a Supreme Court initiative for mediation. Both the Hindu and Muslim sides rejected mediation, preferring judicial adjudication.