Gyanvapi Mosque Case: ASI Survey Halted Till Allahabad High Court Decides on Matter

ALLAHABAD: No survey will be made at the Gyanvapi mosque till the Allahabad High Court arrives at a decision on the matter, with the court now asking the Archeological Survey of India for more clarifications and the hearing is to continue tomorrow.

The Gyanvapi Mosque’s management committee has expressed fears before the court that the historic structure might fall, seeking a stay on the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) survey.

This brought on a sharp response from the court, asking the petitioners whether they would trust the court's ruling if they cannot trust assurances from the ASI that no damage to the structure will happen.

The mosque committee raised the matter in the court that Gyanvapi mosque has stood at the present location, next to the iconic Kashi Vishwanath temple, for the last 1,000 years.

The Hindu side submitted that it trusts a survey that’s similar to that in the Ayodhya Ramjanmabhoomi case, while the mosque committee said both circumstances were different and a comparison cannot be made.

The petitioners' counsel maintained that the talk of a temple under Gyanvapi mosque to be fictional, adding that imagination cannot form the basis for allowing the ASI survey.

The Hindu side has been claiming that a temple was constructed at the site in 1585 on the orders of Raja Todarmal but that it was demolished in 1669. Based on that, a group of Hindu women are now seeking permission to worship the deities there, they said.

The mosque committee pointed out that the women petitioners had told a lower court about their lack of proof regarding the presence of Hindu deities inside the mosque complex and that the ASI must gather them. "This cannot be allowed. You cannot ask someone else to gather proof. This is illegal," they said, in a bid to challenge the lower court's ruling for the survey.

The Hindu side then stressed that they have proof but that an ASI survey can be regarded as an expert opinion.

When the Hindu side was asked by the court if excavation was necessary, its counsel said yes, but that it won't be inside the mosque. The counsel said ASI will do radar mapping and excavation may also be conducted if circumstances demanded it, that too in the last stage.

After hearing the Hindu side's submissions on how the excavation will be conducted, the court asked them to either videograph the survey or to submit that no damage will be caused to the mosque. The Hindu side's counsel reportedly agreed to this.

On the mosque committee’s saying it does not trust the assurances, the court is said to have retorted, "When you don't trust anyone, how will you trust our ruling?"

The court also made a sharp retort to the mosque committee's submission that the Hindu side's lawyer would be held responsible in case the structure falls.

When the court asked if the mosque committee fears that the structure may fall, the committee replied that it might, as it is 1,000 years old.

When the Hindu side assured that no survey will be held in the area sealed under orders from Supreme Court, the mosque committee said that area is also likely to suffer damage if the survey is conducted.

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