SC on Gyanvapi Mosque Survey: The Supreme Court has put an interim stay on the ongoing archaeological survey in the Gyanvapi campus of Varanasi. This ban will continue till 5 pm on Wednesday i.e. 26 July. The Supreme Court has said that in the meantime, the mosque side should file an appeal against the order of the District Judge in the Allahabad High Court and the matter should be heard on Wednesday itself. The High Court will give further orders regarding the survey.
Varanasi District Judge Ajay Kumar Vishwesh ordered an ASI survey of the Gyanvapi campus at 4:30 pm on Friday. Today i.e. from 7 am on Monday, the ASI team reached there and started their work. Meanwhile, at 10:40 in the morning, the matter went before the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on behalf of the Muslim side. Senior advocate Huzaifa Ahmadi, appearing for the Muslim side, demanded an immediate stay on the survey. He claimed that the district judge has ordered excavation in the mosque premises. This can cause damage to the building. This is also in violation of the order of the Supreme Court, in which it was said that no harm should be done to the mosque.
Hindu side gave this argument
Senior advocate Shyam Dewan, appearing for the Hindu side, vehemently opposed it. He said that no excavation work is going on in the mosque premises. On this, the Chief Justice asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to find out from the Archaeological Survey of India what kind of action is being taken there at present. At 11:19 in the morning, the Solicitor General told that the ASI is again doing the work of marking the places there. Also, pictures are being taken and radar technology is being used. Not even a brick has been moved there. There is no plan to dig for the next 1 week.
The court stayed the survey for two days
The Solicitor General suggested that taking the ASI’s statement on record, the Supreme Court should give an opportunity to the mosque side to file an appeal in the Allahabad High Court. But the counsel for the Muslim side said that the order for the survey should be stayed completely. Ahmadi said that the order of the district judge came on Friday. Before he could file the appeal, the survey work was started. Finally, at 11.45 am, the Chief Justice ordered that the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee should be given time to appeal. Therefore, an interim stay on the order of the District Judge is necessary. He made it clear that this ban will continue till 5 pm on 26 July. Meanwhile, the Registrar General of the High Court should ensure that the appeal filed by the Muslim side can be put up for hearing before a bench.
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