The officials of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) arrived at the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi on Friday morning, a day after the Allahabad High Court allowed the conduct of the scientific survey. The survey is being carried out to determine whether the 17th-century mosque has been constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple.
A team of ASI officials arrived at the complex on Friday morning. The survey is being held amid tight security around the Gyanvapi premises.
Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi, a lawyer representing the Hindu side on the Gyanvapi case, told ANI that the survey has started. "We are also going inside," Chaturvedi said. The High Court had allowed an advocate for each of the petitioners to accompany the survey team.
He said the ASI and the district administration have made all preparations. "We are also going there. This survey is a step towards creating history," he added.
#WATCH | Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh: A team of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) arrives at the Gyanvapi mosque complex to conduct a scientific survey of the complex pic.twitter.com/gvkyH4f62L
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) August 4, 2023
The members of the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid committee have boycotted the survey. The representatives of the committee who were to accompany the ASI team for the survey abstained from doing so.
Though the ASI survey began on July 24, it was put on hold by the Supreme Court till July 26 so that the Muslim side can approach the Allahabad High Court. The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee then filed a petition before the Allahabad HC challenging the district court order permitting the ASI survey, but the plea was dismissed by the HC on Thursday.
In his order, the Allahabad court said the proposed survey is "necessary in the interest of justice" and will benefit both sides. HC Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker held that the district court order was just and proper, and no interference from the High Court was warranted. "There is no reason to not believe the ASI's assurance that the survey will not cause any damage to the structure," it said, asserting that no digging should be done on the mosque premises.
The order also permits the ASI to conduct a detailed scientific investigation by using the GPR Survey, Excavation, Dating method and other modern techniques of the present structure to find out whether the same has been constructed over a pre-existing structure of the Hindu temple. It also directed the ASI Director to conduct Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey just below the three domes of the building in question and conduct the excavation, if required.
Plea in SC
The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Friday challenging the High Court decision. The matter was mentioned by advocate Nizam Pasha before Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, who was heading a five-judge constitution bench hearing the arguments in the Article 370 issue and was rising for the day, seeking an urgent hearing.
One of the parties from the Hindu side has also filed a caveat in the apex court saying that no orders be passed without hearing them in the matter.
