Court denies Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee’s appeal against ASI survey of Gyanvapi Mosque complex, backing Varanasi District Judge’s decision, encouraging a fresh approach to the contested religious site.
DESK – In a significant development, the Allahabad High Court today dismissed the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee’s plea against the Varanasi District Judge’s decision permitting an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) examination of the Gyanvapi mosque complex.
This ruling gives the ASI the green light to survey the Gyanvapi mosque complex located in Varanasi.
In this highly charged case, Vishnu Shankar Jain, the attorney for the Hindu faction, announced that the Allahabad High Court upheld the order of the Sessions court, stating the ASI survey should proceed.
Last month, a Varanasi court authorized the ASI to examine the mosque, bar the Wazukhana, which some believe houses a Shivling, to determine if the Kashi Vishwanath temple was razed to build the mosque.
Reacting to this latest development, Uttar Pradesh’s Deputy Chief Minister, Keshav Prasad Maurya, welcomed the verdict and expressed confidence in the revelations the ASI survey would unearth.
However, the Muslim side remains hopeful of getting justice, according to All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) member, Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali.
The Masjid Committee is currently gearing up to appeal the High Court’s decision in the Supreme Court, as the ASI survey is set to continue within the mosque complex.
Despite the Muslim side’s plea for the survey to be stopped due to potential damage to the building, the court ruled that the survey could commence at any time.
This development underlines the ongoing contention between the two religious factions over the historic site.
