A Varanasi court rejected a plea for an additional survey by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at the Gyanvapi complex. The Civil Judge (senior division) of the Fast Track Court dismissed the petition filed by Vijay Shankar Rastogi on Friday.
Hindu Side Plans for Appeal
After the ruling, Rastogi announced plans to appeal in the High Court. He stated, “We are planning to move High Court against the decision of the court rejecting our petition for additional survey.” Rastogi argued that the previous ASI survey was incomplete. He said it did not cover the Wuzukhana and the central dome. He also noted that the 2021 High Court directive to form a five-member team, including a representative from a central university, was not followed.
Ongoing Controversy
Lawyer Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi, who represented the Hindu side, expressed disappointment. He said the court did not accept their plea for an additional survey in critical areas. The Gyanvapi Mosque remains controversial. Some believe it was built on the remnants of the Kashi Vishwanath temple. Various petitions have been filed in different courts, including the Supreme Court and Allahabad High Court.
The legal battle began in 1991 when a petition sought to restore Gyanvapi land to the Kashi Vishwanath temple. Petitioners claimed Aurangzeb constructed the mosque after destroying part of the temple in the 16th century. After the Supreme Court’s Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi verdict in 2019, Rastogi filed a petition. The court then directed the ASI to conduct a scientific survey. The Allahabad High Court paused Varanasi court proceedings in 2021, citing the Places of Worship Act, 1991. This act prevents changes to the religious character of places of worship as of August 15, 1947.
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