In a significant development in the ongoing Gyanvapi mosque dispute in Varanasi, the Allahabad High Court has given the green light to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a scientific survey of the mosque complex. The court dismissed the Muslim side’s plea that the survey could potentially damage the structure.
The controversy surrounding the mosque began when four Hindu women petitioners filed a plea in the Varanasi district court, seeking a scientific survey or excavation to determine whether the mosque was constructed on the site of a pre-existing Kashi Vishwanath temple. In response to the petition, the district court directed the ASI to initiate the survey.
However, the mosque committee raised objections to the survey, expressing concerns about potential damage to the mosque’s structure. The Supreme Court intervened and temporarily stayed the ASI survey until further notice.
In the latest verdict, the Allahabad High Court upheld the importance of a scientific survey for an impartial examination of the site. Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker stated that the commission to conduct the ASI survey was justified and necessary for the interests of justice.
The dispute centers on the belief of Hindu litigants that the Gyanvapi mosque stands on the original location of the Kashi Vishwanath temple. On the other hand, Muslim litigants argue that the mosque was built on Waqf (endowment) property, and changing its character would be barred by the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which aims to preserve the religious nature of places of worship as they existed on August 15, 1947.
As the legal battle ensues, various pleas have been filed in the Allahabad High Court to protect Hindu symbols within the Gyanvapi mosque complex. One petitioner accused the Muslim side of destroying Hindu symbols and called for their safeguarding.
The Allahabad High Court’s decision to allow the ASI survey marks a crucial milestone in the Gyanvapi dispute, but the final resolution remains pending. The court asserted that its judgment would be independent of any observations made by the Supreme Court, indicating that the matter will be decided solely on its merits.
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