HC direction for opening of Lucknow's Imambaras

The Allahabad High Court today directed the district administration here and ASI to open the Bara and Chhota Imambaras, which have been locked since June 5 by some locals demanding sacking of Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board Chairman Sayed Wasim Rizvi.
A vacation bench of justices Arun Tandon and Anil Kumar passed the order on a writ petition moved by Masarrat Hussain, who sought directions to opening of the two famous Imambaras.
The court provided time to the respondents for filing their responses and directed listing of the matter in the third week of July.
The petitioner alleged that the lockout of Imambaras was creating inconvenience to tourists and public and so they should be opened.

Earlier, the court had issued notices to Shia cleric Kalbe Jawad and Chairman of Hussainabad Trust in this matter.
On behalf of the state government, Additional Advocate General Bulbul Godiyal submitted that the government was trying to open the Imambaras.
ASI's counsel S B Pandey said that the locks should be opened in view of proper repairing and maintenance of the Imambaras.
On behalf of Jawad, senior advocate N K Seth raised preliminary objection that it was a proxy petition on behalf of Rizvi which was not maintainable. He submitted that the public had locked the Imambaras.