The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday will hear the petition of Muslim side against the ASI survey of Gyanvapi Masjid near Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi. During the hearing, both the Hindu and Muslim sides will be present. The high court is likely to pass an interim order on Wednesday itself. Earlier, the Supreme Court had stayed the ASI survey till Wednesday evening and ordered the High Court to pass an order on the matter before that.
Earlier on July 21, on the petition of the Hindu side, the district judge’s court of Varanasi had ordered the ASI survey of Gyanvapi to be conducted and the report to be submitted by August 4. The survey of Gyanvapi had started Monday morning. Meanwhile, the Muslim side reached the Supreme Court. On the request of the Muslim side, the Supreme Court had advised the Muslim side to go to the high court and ordered status quo of the ASI survey for two days. On the instructions of the Supreme Court, the Muslim side has reached the Allahabad High Court to stop the survey. The Hindu side has already filed a caveat in the High Court so that before giving any kind of relief to the Muslim side, the High Court must hear their side as well.
The Supreme Court maintained status quo till 5 pm on July 26 and said that time should be given to Muslim side to challenge the survey order. A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Mishra passed the interim order while hearing the demand of the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee (AIM) of Gyanvapi Complex.
Senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, appearing for the committee, sought urgent hearing of the matter before the bench citing the order of the Varanasi district court and the excavation to be carried out in the premises by the ASI. The apex court, while granting interim relief to the committee, had asked it to file an appeal in the Allahabad High Court against the order to conduct a detailed scientific survey of the premises. Also, the high court has been directed to expeditiously hear the appeal of the Management Committee and pass appropriate orders before its (Supreme Court) order expires.
Earlier, the court of the District Judge of Varanasi had ordered the ASI survey of other premises of Gyanvapi except the Wujukhana. The court of District Judge Dr. Ajay Krishna Vishwesh, while ordering the survey to the ASI Director, has also sought a report by August 4. The court has said that the survey should be conducted in a scientific manner without causing any damage.
Hindu Women devotees demanding the right to worship Shringar Gauri, had demanded an ASI survey by filing an application in the district judge’s court. They say that earlier, there was a temple here. The mosque has been built by demolishing the temple. In such a situation, the truth can be known only through the survey. At the same time, Advocate Vishnu Jain has said that the truth will be revealed only after the investigation of the ruined remains, three domes and the basement of Vyas ji near the western wall of the Gyanvapi complex by the Archaeological Survey of India, GPR, scientific and dating methods.