The Allahabad High Court on Thursday revealed the ASI survey of the Gyanvapi campus. The High Court, while rejecting the petition of the Anjuman Survey Sushilia Masjid Committee, ordered to follow the order of the Eastern Sessions Court. A single bench of Chief Justice Pritinkar Diwakar gave this verdict.
After the decision, a meeting of the ASI team and the district administration was held in Varanasi. DM S. Rajalingam told that the mass survey will start Friday.
Refusing to stay the survey, the court said that this survey is necessary for justice. It is necessary to implement this with some students. Do the survey, but without digging.
On the other hand, the Muslim side’s lawyer Mumtaz Ahmed said that he will now go to the Supreme Court.
During the last hearing, the court had completed the hearing with the ASI till the survey of the mosque was started. In the last week of July, arguments were held in the court for two consecutive days from both sides. After listening to both, the court stayed its decision on July 27.
What is the Gyanvapi controversy?
A total of 5 applications have been submitted to the Allahabad High Court regarding the ownership of the Gyanvapi complex. Rakhi Singh and three other women have filed a civil suit in the Varanasi court regarding the ownership of the Swayambhu Vishweshwar Nath temple located on the Gyanvapi campus. The Varanasi District and Sessions Court had ordered the ASI survey of Gyanvapi on 8 April 2021 in this matter. Against this, the Masjid Committee of the Masjid and the UP Sunny Central Waqf Board have filed a petition in the Allahabad High Court. The argument is that the Places of Worship Act, 1991 does not constitute a civil law under Section 4.
The Hindu side says that Lord Vishweshwar is self-manifested. Nature is given, not man-made, in such a way, Section 4 of the Places of Worship Act does not apply to it. Swayambhu Bhagwan is from Satyug. There has been continuous chilling worship here before and after 15 August 1947. This is the reason why the Hindu side repeatedly demands a scientific survey.
The survey started on July 24 after the Varanasi Dominic Court ordered the ASI survey in the Gyanvapi campus. After about 4 hours of survey, the Supreme Court put an interim stay on the petition of the Muslim side till 5 pm on July 26.
Court events related to this case
- August 2021: Five Hindu disciples file an entry letter in the civil court of Varanasi for the list of daily prayers in the Gyanvapi Masjid premises.
- 8th April 2022: Civil Court orders a survey of the premises and Ajay Kumar Mishra is appointed in charge of the work.
- 13 May 2022: The Supreme Court rejected the interim order to maintain the status quo on the basis of a survey in the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri campus.
- 17 May 2022: The Supreme Court gave an interim order to the Magistrate of Varanasi district to ensure security inside the campus.
- 20 May 2022: The Supreme Court transferred the case from Civil Judge to District Judge.
- October 14, 2022: The Varanasi District Court rejected the list of ‘Shivling’-like pinnacles.
- 10 November 2022: A former President was approved to hear the Supreme Court case.
- May 12, 2023: Allahabad High Court ordered to set up a temple resembling ‘Shivling’ with modern technology.
- May 19, 2023: The Supreme Court deferred the implementation of the scientific survey to determine the age of the ‘Shivling’-like peak.
- July 21, 2023: The Varanasi district court orders the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to carry out excavations with directions to the survey to find out which mosque was built at the site where there was a temple earlier.
- July 24, 2023: Supreme Court stays ASI’s survey till 5 pm on July 26, Supreme Court asks to hear mosque committee’s petition.
- July 27, 2023: Illinois High Court reserves decision on ASI survey. Said- there will be a hearing on 3rd August.
- 3 August 2023: Allahabad High Court inaugurated the ASI survey.
Survey Case: At a Glance
In August 2021, a case was registered against five women in front of the civil judge of Varanasi. In this, he demanded daily worship and darshan in the Shringar Gauri temple built next to Gyanvapi. The judge had ordered a survey of the Gyanvapi campus on the list of women. The survey was conducted for three days last year on the orders of the court.
After the survey, the Hindu side claimed gender meetings here. It was claimed that there is a lipping in the Vajukhana of Gyanvapi. Although the Muslim side said that it is not scripted, a fountain which is in every mosque. The hearing of this case was completed in court. The District Judge had reserved the order. On May 16, 2023, an application was submitted by the Hindu side on behalf of the women of the surrounding area, demanding that the entire complex be inspected by the ASI to repair the structural parts of Gyanvapi. On July 21, while giving its verdict on this file, the court canceled the ASI survey.
