The ongoing dispute surrounding the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi has taken a significant turn as the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) submitted its ‘scientific survey’ report to the district judge’s court in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi. The report, presented as a sealed document on Monday afternoon, marks a crucial development in the investigation into the mosque’s origins.
The survey, initiated in August, aimed to ascertain whether the 17th-century mosque was constructed atop a pre-existing Hindu temple. However, the fate of the report’s accessibility remains uncertain. It’s unclear whether it will be disclosed publicly, shared selectively with either the Hindu petitioners or the Muslim side, as the next hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
Tensions have escalated between the involved parties regarding the report’s confidentiality. While the Muslim side opposed a public release, the Hindu petitioners objected to the report being sealed.
This survey was specifically confined to the mosque premises, excluding the ‘wazukhana’ sealed by the Supreme Court, adhering to the Varanasi court’s directive. The contentious issue revolves around claims by right-wing groups suggesting the demolition of a temple by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb to make way for the Gyanvapi mosque, located adjacent to the revered Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
The survey was prompted by a directive from the Allahabad High Court, emphasizing its necessity in the pursuit of justice and its potential benefit to both sides in the dispute.
However, complications arose when the Supreme Court, while refusing a stay on the High Court’s order in August, directed the ASI to refrain from invasive acts during the survey. This ruling excluded excavations initially permitted by the Varanasi court.
The legal battle intensified further as the mosque management committee alleged unauthorized digging by the ASI, raising concerns about the structural integrity of the 354-year-old complex.
The Gyanvapi mosque controversy gained traction in August 2021 when five Hindu women sought permission to pray at a shrine located behind the temple’s western wall, sparking renewed attention to the long-standing dispute.
Simultaneously, the Allahabad High Court, last week, reserved its judgment on a 1991 petition challenging the admissibility of a suit seeking the restoration of a temple at the Gyanvapi mosque site, with a future date for the judgment yet to be set.
As the legal battle unfolds, the submission of the ASI’s survey report adds another layer to the already complex and contentious issue, stirring anticipation and speculation about its contents and potential implications for the ongoing dispute.
Sources By Agencies
