Gyanvapi controversy: Will ‘Vajukhana’ also be surveyed? What did the court say on ASI’s application?

Gyanvapi Dispute Varanasi: A Varanasi court on Saturday rejected a plea seeking inclusion of ‘Vazukhana’ in the ongoing Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque complex.

District government lawyer Rajesh Mishra said, ‘Rejecting the petition, District Judge A.K. Vishwesh said in the order that the survey of the area duly protected under the orders of the Honorable Supreme Court of India should not be conducted, as it may be a violation of the order of the Supreme Court.

This petition was filed by Rakhi Singh, one of the petitioners in the Gyanvapi-Shringaar Gauri case of Varanasi. The court completed the hearing of the case on October 19 and reserved its verdict. On Thursday, during the hearing of the case, Hindu side’s lawyer Madan Mohan Yadav said that at present the entire Gyanvapi complex is being surveyed except the Vajukhana, but without surveying the Vajukhana, the truth of the Gyanvapi complex cannot be revealed.

Registering its objection on this, the mosque side told the court that the part containing the toilet has been sealed on the orders of the Supreme Court. He alleged that the Hindu side has made such a demand to put the matter on the back burner.

The ASI is conducting a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque complex adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple here to find out whether the 17th century mosque was built on the pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple.

The ASI survey began in July after the Allahabad High Court upheld the Varanasi district court order and ruled that the move was “necessary in the interest of justice” and would benefit both Hindus and Muslims.

The mosque side had gone to the Supreme Court against the order of the Allahabad High Court. On August 4, the apex court had refused to stay the Allahabad High Court order on the ASI survey. ASI has been given time till November 6 to complete the ongoing survey of the Gyanvapi complex.

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