Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has reiterated that Varanasi's Gyanvapi mosque is actually a temple of Lord Vishwanath (Lord Shiva), not a mosque. His comments, made during an event in Gorakhpur, have sparked controversy, with opposition parties accusing him of disrespecting the court and dividing society for political gains. The Gyanvapi site is at the center of a legal battle, with the Hindu side claiming it was built on the remains of a Hindu temple demolished in the 17th century, a claim contested by the Muslim community. A Varanasi court recently allowed Hindu devotees to worship inside the mosque's sealed basement but rejected a petition for repairs. Adityanath's statements come ahead of crucial bypolls, adding a political dimension to the ongoing dispute.