PRAYAGRAJ, Jul. 26, 2023 (TBINN) Allahabad High Court today resumed hearing a plea against a District Court Order directing the Archaeological Survey of India to conduct a survey to determine if Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi was built upon a temple.
After hearing arguments in the matter on Tuesday, Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker had posted it for further hearing today. On Tuesday, Anjuman Intezamia Masjid, which manages the mosque, moved High Court, a day after Supreme Court halted the A.S.I.’s survey till 5 P.M. today, allowing time for the mosque-management committee to appeal against the lower court’s order.
Counsel for the committee, senior advocate S.F.A. Naqvi, prayed for early hearing of the case before Chief Justice Diwaker stating that there is an urgency as the apex court’s order will expire today.
Chief Justice said he will hear the matter if the parties have no objection.
Vishnu Shankar Jain, the counsel for respondent (Hindu Side), submitted that in the Ram Mandir Case, a survey was conducted by A.S.I. and the same was accepted by High Court as well as the Supreme Court.
The mosque is located next to Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi and Hindu litigants in the District Court sought the survey to determine whether a temple existed at the same spot in the past.
Earlier, Varanasi District Court on Friday ordered A.S.I. to conduct a survey using technologies like ground penetrating radar and excavations, if necessary.
Notably, apex court’s Monday-order to pause the survey came while A.S.I. Team was inside the mosque complex.
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