In a significant development on January 24th, the Varanasi District Court granted permission for the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) report to be made public in the contentious Gyanvapi Mosque case. The court mandated that hard copies of the ASI report be provided to both the Hindu and Muslim parties involved, as stipulated by the court order.
Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side, shared insights into the proceedings, stating, “Today, the court heard both sides and a consensus was reached that the hard copy of the ASI’s report will be provided to both sides. The ASI objected to providing the report via email. So, both sides agreed to get the hard copy of the report.”
He further added, “The court listened to both sides today. After hearing both sides, an agreement was reached that a certified copy of ASI’s report be made available to both sides. As soon as the court passes the order, our legal team will apply for the certified copy…”
Advocate Harishankar Jain highlighted that objections against making the report public were raised during the proceedings. He explained, “A lot of objections were raised that do not make the (ASI) report public… Today, the Court heard both sides and decided to make the report available to both parties. The report will be made public, and everyone will get to know what is in the report.”
Earlier, on January 16th, the Supreme Court had granted approval to Hindu women petitioners seeking the cleaning of the ‘wazukhana’ area of the Gyanvapi mosque, where the disputed ‘Shivling’ was discovered, and to ensure the maintenance of hygienic conditions.
The Gyanvapi mosque management committee expressed support for cleaning the ‘water tank’ under the supervision of the district administration, as ordered by the Supreme Court.
The Gyanvapi mosque-Kashi Vishwanath temple dispute centers around the ‘Wazu’ area, where a structure, claimed to be a “Shivling” by the Hindu side and a “fountain” by the Muslim side, was discovered during a court-mandated survey on May 16, 2022. The area had been sealed on the Supreme Court’s orders in 2022 following the discovery.
This latest court decision to make the ASI report public is expected to bring further clarity to the ongoing legal proceedings and public discourse surrounding the Gyanvapi Mosque case. Stay tuned for more updates on this evolving story.
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[…] The ASI report concludes that the nature and age of the existing architectural remains, along with the study of artefacts, inscriptions, art, and sculptures, strongly indicate the prior existence of a Hindu temple at the Gyanvapi Mosque site. The report provides valuable historical insights, shedding light on the architectural evolution of t… […]