Gyanvapi Masjid News LIVE: No ASI Survey Till 5 PM on Wednesday as SC Stays Varanasi Court Order

The mosque’s “wazookhana” (a small reservoir for Muslim devotees to perform ritual ablutions before offering namaz), where a structure claimed by the Hindu litigants to be a “Shivling” exists, will not be a part of the survey, following an earlier Supreme Court order protecting that spot in the complex

. The judge has directed the ASI to submit a report to the court by August 4, along with video clips and photographs of the survey proceedings.

Varanasi Police Commissioner Ashok Mutha Jain and the DM held a meeting with both the Hindu and Muslim sides to the dispute on Sunday night to share information about the survey with them. District Judge A K Vishvesh directed the ASI on Friday to conduct the detailed scientific survey — including excavations, wherever necessary — to determine if the mosque was built at a place where a temple existed earlier.

Varanasi Police Commissioner Ashok Mutha Jain and the DM held a meeting with both the Hindu and Muslim sides to the dispute on Sunday night to share information about the survey with them. District Judge A K Vishvesh directed the ASI on Friday to conduct the detailed scientific survey — including excavations, wherever necessary — to determine if the mosque was built at a place where a temple existed earlier.

After coming out of the mosque complex, Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi, one of the counsel of the Hindu petitioners in the legal dispute, said the survey work lasted for about four hours. The entire premises was inspected and measured and four teams were deployed at the four corners, he said, adding that the survey proceedings have been recorded by installing four cameras at the four corners of the mosque.

The stones and bricks on the premises were also inspected, Chaturvedi said. “We are sure that the entire complex belongs to the temple and the result of the survey will be in our favour,” he added.

A survey of the Gyanvapi complex to ascertain if the mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi was built upon a temple was stopped by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Monday following a Supreme Court order.

The apex Court has halted the “detailed scientific survey” till 5 pm on July 26, saying “some breathing time” needed to be granted to appeal against the order.

In a relief to the Gyanvapi committee, the Supreme Court on Monday halted till 5 pm on July 26 a “detailed scientific survey” of the ASI to determine if the mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi was built upon a temple, saying “some breathing time” needed to be granted to appeal against the order.

Taking up the plea moved by Anjuman Intezamia Masjid (AIM) of the Gyanvapi mosque for an urgent hearing, the top court directed the Allahabad High Court to hear the appeal before its “status quo” order expires on Wednesday evening.

The apex court’s order came at a time when a 30-member team of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was inside the mosque complex to carry out the survey. A Varanasi court directed the ASI on Friday to conduct the survey — including excavations, wherever necessary — to determine if the mosque was built at a place where a temple existed earlier.

Commenting on the stay that the Supreme Court has put on the Varanasi Court order, Hari Shankar Jain, the Hindu side counsel said, “This order should not be looked at as a stay on the ASI survey of mosque premises. SC has given the Muslim side chance to approach the High Court.”

The District Magistrate of Varanasi has said that they will the administration will comply with the Supreme Court order.

He said that on Friday the district court had issued an order in which they had directed ASI to conduct the survey. And in compliance of that order ASI had sought access from district administration. He said that the role of district administration is limited to providing access to the ASI in compliance of the court order.

The Supreme Court has stayed the Varanasi Court order directing ASI survey of the Gyanvapi premises till 5 pm Wednesday.

The SC has asked petitioners to approach the Allahabad High Court at the earliest.

The top court has asked the HC to hear the matter before stay order expires.

We will give you time until Wednesday. You move the High Court tomorrow, so that the matter can be heard by them on Wednesday, CJI said to the Muslim side.

Muslim side’s representative, senior Advocate Huzefa Ahmadi requests SC to stay the trial court’s order. He said that since the High Court has already stayed the earlier order of the ASI Survey, the trial court could not have passed this order again.

CJI Chandrachud has said that the survey does not disturb the structure or worship that is carried out by the Muslim side.

In response to CJI’s questions as to where the order of stay on the ASI survey is, Muslim side’s representative, senior Advocate Huzefa Ahmadi has said the order is in page 28 of the submissions, adding that, 30 people from ASI conducting radar imaging is a violation of that order.

The ASI has informed the Supreme Court that in subject to its orders, no invasive steps will be carried out in the survey.

The apex court has granted one week’s time to the Muslim side to move High Court.

As the hearing began again, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta gave submissions that no excavation is being carried out, adding that, only videography and photography is being done.

CJI DY Chandrachud has said that another way to do this is to giving some time to the Muslim side to approach the High Court. The CJI asked them to come back around 11:15 and suggested to ask them to wait till further directions by the court.

CJI DY Chandrachud has said that the bench will take up the matter at 2 pm, suggesting the Solicitor General to maintain status quo till then.

Meanwhile, Hindu side’s senior Advocate Shyam Diwan said that Ahmadi’s claim of digging is an oral mentioning without any plea being moved.

As the SC bench said that their proposal pertains to not doing anything that is excasive, Muslim side’s senior Advocate Huzefa Ahmadi has said that the team is digging the area near the Western Wall.

Senior Advocate Shyam Diwan for the Hindu side took the court through the order of the Varanasi Court directing the ASI survey of the premises.

As Muslim side’s Advocate Huzefa Ahmadi opposed the submissions made by the Hindu side, Diwan said that the techniques used in the survey, such as GPR are all non-evasive.

To this, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta added that to his understanding, satellite methods are also being used.

In the SC hearing, senior Advocate Huzefa Ahmadi said the difficulty was that the order for ASI survey of the entire premises was passed on Friday. The Muslim side asked for postponing the survey, that being unfulfilled “is a contempt of your orders,” he added.

“You have to move the High Court,” the SC said.

The Supreme Court bench has assembled and the hearings have begun. The Muslim side is to mention on serial number nine.

Currently, the bench is listening to mentioning item three.