Court orders archeological survey of Kashi Vishwanath Temple-Gyanvapi mosque site

New Delhi: A civil court has ruled that an archeological survey of Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi will be done. 

Earlier, during the hearing on April 2, the decision was reserved after debates by both sides. In December 2019, advocate Vijay Shankar Rastogi filed an application in the court of civil judge on behalf of Swayambhu Jyotirlinga Lord Vishweshwar and demanded an archaeological survey of the entire area.

In this case, the court of Civil Judge Senior Division Fast Track Court has ruled that the archaeological survey was conducted. The court decided to conduct a research of the entire campus by forming a team of 5 people from the archeology department of the center. 

After this decision of the court, like Ayodhya, now the Gyanvapi mosque will be excavated and the ASI will test the authenticity of the claim of the temple side. It is considered a big decision in the case regarding the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and the Gyanvapi Mosque. On the other hand, the Muslim side says that they will read the copy of the verdict but will consider further action after that.

In December 2019, advocate Vijay Shankar Rastogi filed an application in the court of civil judge on behalf of Swayambhu Jyotirlinga Bhagwan Vishweshwar, requesting the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to survey the entire enlightened campus. He had filed a petition as a 'Vad Mitra' of Swayambhu Jyotirlinga Lord Vishveshwara. 

Subsequently, in January 2020, the Anjuman Intejamia Masjid Committee filed a counter-protest demanding the ASI survey the Gyanvapi mosque and campus. The first petition was filed in 1991 by the Swayambhu Jyotirlinga Lord Vishweshwar in Varanasi Civil Court for permission to worship at Gyanvapi.

What is the whole matter?

Vijay Shankar Rastogi, a lawyer and advocate of Kashi Vishwanath Temple, says that Aurangzeb issued a decree to disband the Kashi Vishwanath temple during his rule, but that decree was not given from anywhere. But even then this disputed structure was made there. 

The plaintiff side says that the disputed structure has been built on the site of the Kashi Vishwanath temple whereas in the counter letter filed by the respondent side Anjuman Intejamia Masjid Committee and Sunni Central Waqf Board, it has been said that the Kashi Vishwanath Temple never existed here and it was never broken by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.