A district court in Varanasi on Friday rejected the Hindu worshippers’ plea seeking ‘scientific investigation’ of ‘Shivling’ claimed to be found on the Gyanvapi complex.
If carbon dating and ground penetrating radar is permitted and if any damage is caused to the ‘Shivling’, then it would be in violation of the Supreme Court order to protect it and it might also hurt the religious sentiments of the general public,” the court said
The Varanasi court further added, “It would not be proper to order the survey of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and by giving such order the age, nature, and structure of the said Shivling is known, even this does not imply the possibility of a just solution”.
Carbon dating is a scientific process that ascertains the age of an archaeological object or archaeological finds.
Speaking to The Daily Guardian petitioner’s Advocate Vishnu Jain said, “Court has rejected our demand of seeking carbon dating. We will move to Supreme Court against this order, and challenge it there. I cannot announce the date as of now, but we’ll soon challenge this order in apex court,”
The Hindu side had claimed that a ‘Shivling’ was found in the premises near the ‘wazukhana’ during the videography survey of the mosque premises, which was ordered by the court. However, the Muslim side said that the structure found was a ‘fountain’. The Hindu side had then submitted an application on September 22 that sought a carbon dating of the object they claimed to be ‘Shivling’.
Earlier on 29 September, the Hindu side demanded a scientific investigation of the ‘Shivling’ by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the carbon dating of ‘Argha’ and the area around it.
The court had reserved the order in the Gyanvapi Mosque-Shringar Gauri case after hearing both sides’ arguments.
Akhlaq Ahmed, representing the Muslim side had said that the plea by the Hindu side is not maintainable as it is against the order of the Supreme Court that stated protecting the structure (which the Muslim side claims to be a fountain and the Hindu side claims to be a Shivling).
“We responded to the application on carbon dating. Stone does not have the capacity to absorb carbon. The Supreme Court in its May 17 order, according to which, the object that was found by the commission, had to be protected. The order of the SC will prevail, so the object cannot be opened. According to the Hindu side, the process will be scientific, even if it is so, there will be tampering with the object. Chemicals will be used for the test. We will take action based on the order by the court on October 14,” Ahmed said.