“Confident that truth will come out in ASI survey…”: UP Deputy CM on Allahabad HC verdict in Gyanvapi case

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India]: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Thursday welcomed the verdict pronounced by the Allahabad High Court allowing the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct the survey of Gyanvapi Mosque premises.

Keshav Prasad Maurya said,” I welcome this verdict. I am confident that the truth will come out after the ASI survey and the Gyanvapi issue will be resolved like the Ramjanambhoomi case.” Earlier today the Allahabad High Court dismissed Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee’s plea, challenging the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) survey of the mosque complex, adjacent to Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi.

The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee had challenged the Varanasi District Judge’s July 21 order.

Speaking on the verdict, senior advocate Harishankar Jain said that the ASI survey will bring out the facts in the case.

“There are numerous pieces of evidence present there that say that it was a Hindu temple. ASI survey will bring out the facts. I am sure that the original ‘shivling’ has been hidden below the main dome there. To hide this truth, they are objecting repeatedly. They know that after this it won’t remain a mosque and the way will be clear for the construction of a grand temple there,” he said.

Meanwhile, All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) member Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali said that the Places of Worship Act should be enforced at all places of worship in the country.

“We are hopeful that justice will be done as this mosque is around 600 years old and Muslims have been offering namaz there for the last 600 years. We also want that the Places of Worship Act should be enforced at all places of worship in the country. The Muslim side will think about approaching SC challenging this order,” he said.

Rekha Pathak, Petitioner from the Hindu side said that this is a victory of the Hindu community.

“This is a victory of 100 crore Hindus. Jahan Satya rahega vahi Shiv bhi rahenge (Where truth is, Lord Shiva stays there). We are excited about the verdict. Muslim side is fearing that they are going to lose this mosque if the survey reveals the truth,” she said.
After the verdict, District Magistrate Varanasi, S Rajalingam said that the local administration will be ready to provide support to ASI regarding help in conducting the survey.

“In this issue, once we get the correspondence from the ASI regarding any help, the district administration will be ready to provide support. We have not received any message from ASI yet,” Varanasi DM S Rajalingam said.

Earlier Supreme Court ordered that the Varanasi district court order of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex, adjacent to Kashi Vishwanath temples, shall not be enforced till 5 pm on July 26.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud says that in the meantime mosque committee to move the Allahabad High Court with its plea against the district court’s order.

The bench said the order was passed to give some breathing time to the Muslim side to approach the Allahabad High Court.

Gyanvapi mosque management committee, Anjuman Intezamia Masajid, mentioned the matter before the CJI seeking a stay on the July 21 order of the district court.

Senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi sought a stay on the ASI survey of the mosque complex saying the top court had earlier stayed the carbon dating of the structure, claimed as “shivling” by the Hindi side, found in the ablution pond of the mosque during a court-mandated survey in May 2022.