The Supreme Court of India has stated that no Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) survey will be conducted at the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi until July 26, according to a recent report by the Times of India. The decision was made after an ASI team arrived at the mosque complex earlier today to conduct a scientific survey.
The Varanasi Court had previously given directions to conduct an ASI survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex, excluding the ‘Wazukhana’ area. However, the Supreme Court has now stayed the operation of this order until Wednesday evening, and has urged the mosque committee to file an appeal in the meantime.
The Chief Justice of India, D Y Chandrachud, took note of the submissions made by senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi on behalf of the mosque committee. The apex court has granted the committee some breathing time to file an appeal. It has permitted the committee to move the high court under Article 227, which deals with the writ jurisdiction of high courts, challenging the order of the district judge of Varanasi.
In its order, the Supreme Court directed that the district court order should not be enforced until 5 pm on July 26. If the appeal is filed, the high court registrar-judicial will ensure that it is placed before a bench for hearing before the status quo order ends.
The Supreme Court has asked the Allahabad High Court to hear the appeal before the aforementioned date. The court acknowledged that the ASI survey was being carried out on the same day the order was passed, allowing the mosque committee some time to present their arguments.
This development comes amidst the ongoing dispute regarding the Gyanvapi mosque complex, which is situated next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi. The ASI survey is intended to examine the historical and archaeological aspects of the mosque complex.
