An Indian court said it was examining a case brought by Hindu women seeking the right to pray inside a mosque in a northern city among the country's holiest for Hindus.
The lawsuit may become a point of religious contention between the Hindu majority and the Muslim minority (about 200 million Muslims), knowing that the mosque is located in the constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in northern India.
Hindu groups said that symbols related to the god "Shiva" are present inside the mosque, according to Bloomberg News Agency.
Muslim leaders denied this, and demanded that the case not be accepted.
The Gyanvapi Mosque is located in Varanasi, on the banks of the Ganges River, sacred to Hindus.
The court on Monday decided to "keep up" the case, Vishnu Shankar Jan, a lawyer for the Hindu women's group, told reporters.
The court is scheduled to hear arguments on September 22, to consider whether Hindus can be allowed to enter the mosque to worship the alleged symbols inside.
Attacks targeting Muslims in India increased and took various forms during the past months, in light of a weak response from the Hindu nationalist government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.