ASI report on Gyanvapi Mosque to be made public: orders Varanasi court
Last Updated on January 25, 2024 by News Desk
Varanasi court on 24 January, ordered to make the Archeological Survey of India’s (ASI) report on Gyanvapi mosque to the parties public and supply it to the concerning parties to the dispute.
“Both the parties to the suit must be provided copies of the survey report so that they can file objections against the ASI report if they think it proper. Without providing a copy of the survey report to the parties, it will not be possible for them to file objections against it” the court observed.”
earlier in 2023, The court had ordered ASI to conduct a scientific survey of Gyanvapi mosque to ascertain if the 17th-century mosque was built over a pre-existing Hindu temple structure.
the Muslim party filed the plea challenging the survey. The plea also raised the question on the maintainability of the suit on the ground that the Places of Worship Act of 1991, which was introduced at the height of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, seeks to protect the status of all religious structures as it stood on August 15, 1947. Both the district court and the High Court had rejected the same and held the suit to be maintainable.
ASI presented its report on the mosque to the Varanasi District Court in a sealed cover on December 18. Following this, Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu party, requested the court to publicise the ASI report, arguing against its submission in a sealed cover.
Thus, the court ordered to make the ASI report public for which the parties are required to provide an affidavit.
Written by Shagun Behal
