'Unfortunately, It's Associated With A Mosque Now': Adityanath Says Gyanvapi Is Lord Vishwanath Himself

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said Gyanvapi is Lord Vishwanath himself and it is ‘unfortunate’ that people associated the name with a mosque, referring to the Gyanvapi Mosque in the city of Varanasi.

“Unfortunately, people call Gyanvapi a mosque, but it is actually ‘Vishwanath’ (Lord Shiva) himself,” Adityanath was heard saying in a video released by PTI.

The comments were made when Adityanath was addressing a Hindi Diwas event in Gorakhpur and came before crucial bypolls in the state.

His statement also follows a Varanasi court’s decision on the Gyanvapi case on Thursday. The court rejected a petition from the Hindu side, which had requested the District Magistrate to order repairs to the basement of Vyas Ji within the Gyanvapi mosque complex.

He later posted his remark on his official social media handle with the caption: “Today people call Gyanvapi a mosque in other words, but Gyanvapi is actually Vishwanath,” he said.

Yogi Adityanath added that devotees visiting the site feel that the ongoing confusion about its true identity or name is the biggest obstacle, not only to worship and offering prayers but also to national unity and integrity.