The Allahabad High Court has instructed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to suspend the survey of Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi while the court hearing on the matter is ongoing. The Supreme Court had earlier halted the detailed scientific survey by the ASI until 5 pm on Wednesday to determine whether the mosque, situated near the Kashi Vishwanath temple, was constructed on a temple site. This allowed the mosque management committee time to appeal against the district court's order, which directed the ASI to conduct the controversial survey.
Anjuman Intezamia Masjid, which manages the mosque, filed an appeal in the high court against the lower court's order. The committee's counsel urged for an early hearing, stating the urgency due to the apex court's order expiring on Wednesday.
During the hearing, the Allahabad High Court discussed the issue, and Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker advised the ASI not to conduct the survey while the hearing was ongoing. Vishnu Shankar Jain, the counsel for the respondent representing the Hindu side, mentioned that in the Ram Mandir case, a survey conducted by the ASI was accepted by both the high court and the Supreme Court.
The controversy arose as Hindu litigants in the district court sought the survey to ascertain if a temple existed on the same spot before the mosque was built. The Varanasi district court had ordered the ASI to conduct the survey using ground-penetrating radar and excavations if necessary.
The ASI officer assured the Allahabad High Court that the survey team would not damage or demolish any structure during the survey. The hearing will continue on Thursday at 3.30 pm.
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