'Why look for Shivling in every masjid': Mohan Bhagwat on Gyanvapi row

Hindu and Muslim petitioners are fighting a legal battle over the court-ordered videography of the mosque complex to check whether there are idols of Hindu Gods and Goddesses.

Earlier, five women requested access to worship what they claim are idols of Hindu gods and goddesses inside the complex including the existence of what they claimed as a 'Shivling'.

"We had special devotion towards some places and we spoke about them but we shouldn't bring out a new matter daily. Why should we escalate the dispute? We have devotion towards Gyanvapi and doing something as per that, it's alright. But why look for a Shivling in every masjid?" said Bhagwat at a Nagpur event.

"Gyanvapi matter is ongoing. We can't change history. Neither today's Hindus nor today's Muslims created it. It happened at that time. Islam came from outside via attackers. In the attacks, Devsthans were demolished to exhaust the morale of those who wanted India's independence," he said.

The report of the videography of the mosque, which was shared by the lawyers of the petitioners, reportedly states that symbols of a "Trishul" or trident, lotus engravings and ancient Hindi carvings have been found in the video survey of the mosque complex that exits right next to the iconic Kashi-Vishwanath temple.

Speaking about the row, Bhagwat said: "Issues were raised over places in which Hindus have a special devotion. Hindus don't think against Muslims. The ancestors of today's Muslims were Hindus too. It was done to keep them forever devoid of independence and suppress morale. So Hindus feel they (religious places) should be restored."

"If there are issues in mind, it will rise. It is not against anyone...Find out a path through mutual agreement...If a path does not always come out, people approach court, and if it is done then whatever the court decides should be accepted. We should abide by the decisions," the RSS chief said.

Bhagwant said the RSS is not opposed to any form of worship and considers all of them holy.

"We have no opposition against any form of worship; we accept them all and consider all of them holy. They may have adopted that form of worship, but they are descendants of our rishis, munis, Kshatriyas. We are descendants of the same ancestors," he said.

The Varanasi district court on Monday deferred a hearing on the Gyanvapi masjid committee's petition challenging the maintainability of a suit filed by Hindu women till July 4.