Politics
ASI Requests Additional Four Weeks To Make Gyanvapi Survey Report Public, Muslim Side Opposes Disclosure In Varanasi Court
The Gyanvapi mosque (Wikimedia Commons).
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has requested an additional four weeks from the Varanasi district court before making the report on the Gyanvapi Mosque case public as reported by The New Indian Express.
This case involves the demand to disclose ASI findings in the legal battle concerning the mosque.
The outcome of this decision is crucial for the ongoing dispute and is anticipated to be revealed tomorrow.
On 18 December, the ASI submitted the survey report in a sealed cover to the district court, following the court's order to investigate claims that the 17th-century mosque was built over a pre-existing temple.
The petitioners are seeking the "restoration" of a temple beneath the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi.
Originally, the court scheduled 21 December to open the sealed report and distribute copies to the advocates.
On that day, the Muslim side appealed to the court not to make the survey report public, while the Hindu side requested its disclosure.
The ASI conducted a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi premises, adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple, to determine if the mosque was constructed over a pre-existing Hindu temple structure.
The district court's 21 July order mandated the survey beneath the mosque's domes, cellars, and western wall, and instructed the ASI to examine the plinth and pillars to determine the building's age and nature.
To ensure no damage to the structure on the disputed land, the court directed the ASI Director to conduct a detailed scientific investigation using methods such as Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) surveys, dating methods, and other modern techniques.
The court's decision on the report's disclosure holds significant implications for the ongoing legal battle.
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