Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: A Varanasi court has dismissed a plea from the Hindu petitioners seeking an additional survey by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on the Gyanvapi mosque premises. Advocate Vijay Shankar Rastogi, representing the Hindu side, has confirmed plans to appeal this decision in the high court within 30 days.
Rastogi clarified that the appeal is rooted in a previous court directive issued on April 8, 2021, which required a detailed ASI survey to be conducted by a five-member team including a representative from a minority community and an expert from a central university. According to the Hindu petitioners, the initial ASI survey fell short of these specified standards.
2021 Directive Compliance Sought
The Hindu side’s application aimed to enforce compliance with the 2021 directive, which outlined the formation of a multi-member team to ensure comprehensive examination. “The April 8, 2021, directive, upheld by the high court, had stipulated that if the previous survey didn’t meet the outlined standards, an additional one should be ordered. However, the recent dismissal disregarded this directive,” Rastogi stated.
Disputed Survey of the Wazukhana
Another key contention involves the wazukhana (ablution area) near the mosque, which the Hindu petitioners say has not undergone a complete survey. According to Rastogi, while the court ordered the area’s protection, it did not mandate sealing, leading to its omission from ASI’s recent survey.
“The ASI excluded the wazukhana from the survey, interpreting it as sealed due to a high court directive, but there was no such order. The area remains unsealed and has yet to be fully examined,” Rastogi explained.
Request for Excavation Below the Central Dome
The Hindu side also requested a deeper examination below the main dome, where the Jyotirlinga of Lord Vishweshwar is believed to be located. The ground-penetrating radar previously used by ASI detected debris down to 5.8 meters but did not provide conclusive insights from further depths.
“We requested a safe excavation trench near the dome to help ASI access deeper levels and report findings. Our next step will involve appealing in the high court, based on the grounds for dismissal, seeking a survey aligned with the 2021 directive.”
The Hindu petitioners remain hopeful that their appeal will lead to a more extensive ASI investigation that complies with the court’s initial order.
