Gyanvapi Mosque: The scientific investigation that the Archaeological investigation of India (ASI) would carry out at the Gyanvapi mosque complex has been put on hold by the Allahabad High Court till Thursday, July 27. The Varanasi court judgement allowing the ASI to conduct a scientific study to ascertain if the Gyanvapi mosque was built upon a temple was being challenged in court by the Anjuman Intezamia Committee. The Supreme Court ordered the ASI to refrain from conducting any “detailed scientific survey” on the grounds of the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi until 5 p.m. on July 26 after the Varanasi court approved the ASI survey on July 24. The top court’s decision was designed to provide the mosque committee “breathing time” to contest the Varanasi court verdict. The two sides presented their cases in court on Wednesday over whether the ASI survey will harm the building.
Muslim Committee and Hindu Side Clash Over ASI Survey at Gyanvapi Mosque
The Muslim Committee’s senior counsel Naqvi said that because the mosque has been standing for a thousand years, excavation activity could harm the building. The attorney for the Hindu side, Vishnu Jain, informed the court that excavation work inside the mosque will not be done and will only be done if the situation calls for it. Jain continued, “And at the very end.” However, according to Naqvi, the application from the Hindu side, excavation will take place beneath three domes. In addition, he said that the wazukhana area would likely be harmed if the survey was carried out, despite the Hindu side’s promises that it would not. The Hindu side was then instructed by the court to either record the survey or prove that there would be no harm done to the mosque.
Court Expresses Doubts on ASI’s Survey Assurances, ASI Official Summoned for Final Ruling on Gyanvapi Mosque Survey
The court’s bench, presided over by Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker, was unconvinced by the ASI’s assurance that the survey will be conducted using the ground-penetrating radar (GPR) method without causing any harm to the land. The court requested pictures from earlier projects and inquired about ASI’s previous experience conducting surveys of a similar nature. “The court is putting strong doubts on the work to be carried out by you,” Diwaker told ASI when it replied that it had done similar work before. On Thursday, when the court is scheduled to issue its final ruling in the matter, an ASI official has been requested to come before the court. On July 27, the hearing will pick again up at 3:30.
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