Gyanvapi: Mosque Side Moves To Court Due To ASI’s Extension

The Muslim side objected to the Archaeological Survey of India’s request for further time to finish the current scientific examination of the Gyanvapi mosque complex and submit its findings on Monday in the Varanasi district court.

The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee (AIMC), which oversees the Gyanvapi mosque, objected, claiming that the Supreme Court and Allahabad High Court’s orders had been broken by the ASI’s excavation work in the mosque complex’s basement.

Mumtaz Ahmad, a lawyer representing the mosque committee, stated: “We filed an objection in the Varanasi district court against the application moved by ASI seeking an additional eight weeks to submit the survey report.”

On September 8, District Judge AK Vishvesh scheduled a hearing on the case. The district judge heard the ASI’s appeal on Monday after it was submitted to the Varanasi district court on September 2. On September 8, the Muslim side’s objection and the ASI request will both be heard.

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Four weeks granted

“The ASI, which was granted four weeks’ time on August 5 (to submit the survey report), has filed an application yet again to delay the survey proceedings,” Ahmad stated. We requested that the court deny the ASI’s application.

The mosque committee also said in its protest that tonnes of earth were removed from the Gyanvapi complex’s basement and gathered on the open space west of the mosque. The AIMC objected, stating that “the removal of debris or soil present inside barricading near the western wall poses a threat to the Gyanvapi Masjid building.”

Akhlaque Ahmad, a different AIMC attorney, said that digging inside the mosque’s grounds and removing dirt from the Gyanvapi complex’s basement was in violation of the affidavit ASI provided as an assurance at the Allahabad High Court.

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Digging activities

Amit Kumar Srivastava, a standing attorney for the Union government, disputed the Muslim side’s claim that it had engaged in digging activities. Srivastava had submitted the appeal on behalf of ASI on September 2 asking for more time to deliver its survey report.

“The ASI is conducting the survey in accordance with the court’s directive. It has not been dug in any area of the Gyanvapi mosque grounds, according to Srivastava.
In accordance with the court’s directive, the central agency has been conducting the survey since August 4 in the blocked areas of the Gyanvapi complex, except the sealed sector. The assessment was mandated to ascertain if the mosque from the 17th century was built on the remains of a Hindu temple.