Varanasi court has ordered the Gyanvapi Mosque survey to continue and asked that a report on the matter be submitted by May 17. The court also said that it would not remove commissioner Ajay Mishra who is overseeing the survey. Additionally, two more lawyers have been appointed as commissioners to accompany Mishra to conduct the survey.

The Gyanvapi verdict is a major victory for the Hindu petitioners. Recently, Muslims had obstructed the survey at the premises saying no ‘non-believer’ will be allowed to enter it.

Tension prevailed outside the Kashi Vishwanath Dham complex on Friday (May 6) as Muslims opposed videographing the inside of the Gyanvapi mosque. A team led by the advocate commissioner arrived to survey the area and videograph it on the orders of the local court.

The mosque was covered with boards and the management committee of the Gyanvapi mosque had decided to oppose the decision of the local court. S.M. Yasin, Joint Secretary of Anjuman Intejamiya Masjid Managing Committee, said that no one will be allowed to enter the mosque. Some reports stated that the Muslim side has said that the videography should be restricted to the premises of Kashi Vishwanath temple, and no “non-believer” will be allowed to enter the mosque.

The Varanasi District Court gave its approval in April last year for an archaeological survey to be conducted at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple-Gyanvapi mosque complex. The petition in this regard was filed by a local lawyer VS Rastogi.

“This move gains significance considering the fact that the country’s apex court had recently agreed to examine the validity of the 1991 Places of Worship Act which is one of the major impediments in reclaiming Hindu temple land where mosques were constructed by invaders after destroying ancient Hindu temples that stood at those sites”, HinduPost had highlighted at that time.

(Featured Image Source: Times Now)