"Threat To Democracy": Ashok Gehlot Over Varanasi's Gyanvapi Mosque Case

After the Supreme Court adjourned the hearing in Varanasi's Gyanvapi mosque case till Friday, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot slammed the Centre for "doing politics in the name of religion" and posing a "threat to democracy".

Addressing reporters in Jaipur on Thursday, Chief Minister Gehlot said, "Where is the country heading? The Centre is doing politics in the name of religion. This is posing a threat to democracy."

"Common people have to realise that they are being misled in the name of religion. This is not in favour of public interest," he added.

After the Supreme Court's decision to adjourn the hearing till Friday, the Varanasi court too posted the matter to May 23 for the next hearing. Deferring the hearing till Friday, the top court on Thursday asked the lower court, before which the proceedings are pending, not to take any further action in the case till then.

The decision came after the Supreme Court was informed that Senior Advocate Hari Shankar Jain, who is representing the Hindu side before the Varanasi court and was indisposed on the last date of hearing, had been discharged from hospital on Wednesday.

The top court had earlier ordered authorities to secure the site in the complex where a "Shivling" was claimed to have been found, and allowed people to offer prayers at the mosque without restrictions.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)