Chandigarh, November 22, 2024: In the ongoing Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi Mosque case, the Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Mosque Management Committee. The court has directed them to respond within two weeks.
The order follows a petition filed by Hindu petitioners seeking an ASI survey of the ‘Vajukhana’ area of the Gyanvapi Masjid. The petitioners allege that a Shivling was discovered during a videography survey of the mosque complex.
Varun Kumar Sinha, the lawyer representing the Hindu side, stated that the matter was presented in the Supreme Court, where an application was filed to transfer all proceedings from the Varanasi District Court to the High Court for consolidation. This would ensure that all trials related to the case are heard in one court.
Additionally, the Supreme Court has adjourned the hearing until December 19, 2024. It has directed that all petitions concerning the Gyanvapi Mosque be listed for that date, with further proceedings to be scheduled.
The dispute centers on a claim made by the Hindu side on May 16, 2022, that a Shivling was found in the so-called ‘Vajukhana’ area. The Anjuman Intezamia, which manages the mosque, has rejected this claim, asserting that the object is a fountain. Sinha confirmed that an interim application for an ASI investigation into the area was filed, and the Supreme Court has now issued a notice to the Anjuman Interjamia, asking for a reply within two weeks.
