Gyanvapi case: Allahabad High Court expected to deliver verdict on ASI survey today
Prayagraj, August 3: The much-awaited judgment on the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi is expected to be announced by the Allahabad High Court today. The survey covers the entire mosque complex, with the exception of the Wazukhana, which houses a structure claimed to be a Shivling.
In a recent development, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday, urging the court to seal plot number 9130 within the Gyanvapi campus. The PIL emphasized the need to prohibit the entry of non-Hindus to prevent any harm to the symbols discovered during the survey, such as the Trident, Lotus, and Swastika.
Advocate Saurabh Tiwari, the petitioner in the case, stated, "A PIL has been filed in Allahabad High Court demanding that plot number 9130 in the Gyanvapi campus should be sealed. According to it, the entry of non-Hindus is also banned so that the symbols found in the survey (Trident, Lotus, and Swastika) should not be harmed."
Previously, the Allahabad High Court had instructed the ASI not to initiate the survey of the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi while the hearing on the matter was underway. The Supreme Court had temporarily suspended a detailed scientific survey by the ASI until July 26, 5 pm. The purpose of the survey was to determine whether the mosque, located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple, was constructed atop a pre-existing temple.
Also Read: Nuh violence: ‘Urge parties to refrain from violent actions,’ says US on clashes in Gurugram
The court took up the case after a plea was filed against a district court's order directing the ASI to conduct the controversial survey. The Supreme Court inadvertently disposed of an appeal from the committee that questioned the maintainability of a suit by Hindus seeking worship rights inside the mosque in the trial court.
On July 21, the Varanasi district judge, AK Vishvesha, had ordered the ASI survey of the Gyanvapi complex in response to an application by four Hindu women on May 16, 2023. However, the order excluded the ablution pond area, which had already been sealed on the orders of the top court.
The Gyanvapi mosque case has seen several legal twists. On May 12, the Allahabad High Court permitted the scientific survey of the disputed "Shivling" within the mosque complex. However, the Supreme Court stayed this order on May 19.
During the survey, a structure, claimed to be a "Shivling" by the Hindu side and a "fountain" by the Muslim side, was discovered in the mosque premises on May 16 last year, as part of a court-mandated survey of the Gyanvapi mosque located adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple.
Earlier, on October 14, 2022, the High Court had set aside the Varanasi District judge's order, which had initially rejected the application for a scientific survey and carbon dating of the "Shivling." The High Court directed the Varanasi District judge to proceed with the application for the scientific probe of the "Shivling" in accordance with the law.
The case was brought before the High Court by petitioners Laxmi Devi and three others, who challenged the lower court's order. As the verdict of the Allahabad High Court is awaited, the nation watches closely for the resolution of this long-standing dispute.
Also Read: Monsoon mayhem: Nandaprayag, Chhinka road on Badrinath NH remains blocked in Uttarakhand
- ANI
