ASI urges court not to make Gyanvapi survey report public for 4 more weeks

Varanasi: The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) on Wednesday urged a Varanasi court not to make its Gyanvapi mosque complex survey report public for at least four more weeks, according to the lawyer for the Hindu side. Varanasi district court judge A K Vishvesh then adjourned the matter till Thursday, Hindu side counsel Madan Mohan Yadav said.

According to the lawyer, the ASI requested the court for four more weeks before the sealed survey report is opened. Yadav said the ASI referred to a recent judgment of the Allahabad High Court while seeking four weeks' time.

The Allahabad High Court had on December 19 dismissed several pleas from Muslim sides challenging the maintainability of a suit seeking restoration of the temple where the Gyanvapi mosque now stands in Varanasi. In its observation, Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal had said the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 did not define religious character and this can only be determined through evidence presented in the court by opposing parties. Either the Gyanvapi compound has a Hindu religious character or a Muslim religious character. It can't have dual character at the same time, the judge had said.