The Varanasi district judge on Tuesday admitted the Muslim side’s petition against a plea by Hindus to pray daily on the Gyanvapi mosque premises and agreed to hear the matter first on May 26.

The Hindu petitioners have moved court seeking permission to pray at the Shringar Gauri, where they claim the presence of images of Hindu deities.

“The court also ordered (the registry) to provide to the Hindu as well as Muslim sides the copies of the report, photographs and videos of the survey of the Gyanvapi mosque and asked them to file their objections within a week,” said Madan Mohan, a counsel for the Hindus.

A lawyer present in the court said on condition of anonymity that some lawyers representing the Hindu side chanted “Har Har Mahadev” after hearing the order.

Mohan confirmed that the religious slogan was indeed raised in the court. “Obviously, some people were happy and chanted the slogan,” the lawyer said.

The Supreme Court had directed the district judge to first settle the maintainability of the petition against the Hindu side’s plea to pray everyday on the mosque premises.