Shubhiksha GV, Pune
The second phase of the survey at the Gyanvapi Mosque continues in full swing despite the Muslim side’s warning to boycott if rumours are spread about the findings. The 55-member team from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) began the first phase of a survey on August 5 and the second phase on August 08, 2023.
According to a report by ANI, Sudhir Tripathi, a lawyer representing the Hindu side, said, “Without removing the rubble (in the ‘Tahkhana’), photography and videography is not possible.” This statement came after various rumours about trishul and kalash were found during the survey of the ‘Tahkhana’ (basement) on August 5. These rumours triggered the Anjuman Intezamia committee, caretakers of the Mosque, to boycott the survey and not cooperate.
Security has increased manifold around the Mosque perimeter, as the ASI team gears up for the second phase with machines including processes like the Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS).
The Allahabad High Court has also dismissed a Public Interest Litigation to seal the Gyanvapi Mosque premises during the survey to “avoid non-Hindus destroying signs and symbols inside the Mosque”. The petition’s merits were questioned by the bench, and the plaintiff was offered a chance to withdraw the petition, which they took up.
The Intezamia committee on August 8 requested the press to cover only official information and not present the rumours. The committee has filed an application at Varanasi District Court, a Hindustan Times report stated. It further says that the plea states that “…social, print, electronic media were publishing and disseminating false and wrong news in an arbitrary manner about the portions (of Gyanvapi Mosque) where the survey had not been conducted yet.” The court has agreed to hear the case on August 09.
A group of Hindu women in Varanasi filed a petition in 2022 that the Gyanvapi Mosque was built on the ground of a Temple. The Wazu Khana of the Mosque was alleged to be a Shivling and fragments of other idols were reported to be on site. An ASI probe was ordered to verify the issue on July 21 by the Varanasi court. This created communal tension in the city, moving the case to the Allahabad High Court. The HC greenlit the survey, prompting the Anjuman Intezamia committee (Gyanvapi Mosque) to appeal to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court had dismissed the plea to avoid creating another communal disintegration.