VARANASI: Scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is going smoothly and everyone is cooperating with the team there, said Advocates from the Hindu side in the matter.
A team of 55 members from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) resumed the scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex on Sunday morning to determine if the 17th-century masjid was constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple.
While talking to the reporters here, Advocates from the Hindu side of Gyanvapi case Vishnu Shankar Jain said that the Muslim side has followed the court’s order and has fully cooperated with the survey.
#WATCH | At lunch break on the third day of the ASI survey, advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side in Gyanvapi mosque complex survey case, says, "…The work will resume at 2.30 pm and continue till 5 pm. There is no major update, scientific study is going on… pic.twitter.com/w3gpghPdno
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) August 6, 2023
“The ASI is doing its work smoothly. The Muslim side has followed the court’s order and has fully cooperated with the survey. Every modern technique is being used for the survey. In the future also the work will continue according to the court’s order,” he said.
Advocate Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi said that the further investigation of the premises of the mosque is also being done.
“ASI is doing its work smoothly. They are doing their required analysis. The further investigation of the premises of the mosque is also being done.Photography, measurement and mapping has been done of all the three tombs. A study is being conducted of the entire campus…GDPR machines have been used,” Chaturvedi said.
Advocate Sudhir Kumar Tripathy said, “The work is ongoing.”
He, however, refused to comment on how much work has been completed in order to maintain the confidentiality of the survey.
Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain and advocate Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi, representing the Hindu side in the Gyanvapi case, were present in the survey.
The scientific survey of the complex, adjacent to Kashi Vishwanath temple, excluding Wuzu Khana, began on Friday, following Allahabad high court’s order, which allowed the ASI to conduct the survey, to determine if the mosque was built on a pre-existing temple.
Allahabad high court on Thursday dismissed the plea filed by the Muslim party, Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, challenging the Varanasi court order allowing the ASI to conduct a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque premises, except the ‘Wazukhana’ area where a “Shivling” was claimed to have been found last year.
The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee had challenged the Varanasi district judge’s July 21 order. (ANI)