Gyanvapi’s survey: Hindu side claims ‘Shivling’ found
VARANASI: A “Shivling” was found on the premises of the Gyanvapi mosque on the last day of the videography survey here on Monday, lawyers representing the Hindu petitioners claimed, following which a local court directed the district administration to seal the spot.
The claim was disputed by the mosque management committee, which has been objecting to the survey since it was ordered by a local civil court against a petition by a group of Hindu women.
The petition sought permission for daily worship at the Shringar Gauri temple, which is claimed to be situated inside the Gyanvapi mosque premises. The mosque is located close to the iconic Kashi Vishwanath temple.
The “object” found by the survey team was part of a “fountain”, a committee spokesperson told a news channel, according to news agency PTI, adding that the lawyers representing the mosque committee were not fully heard before the sealing order was announced.
The Hindu side claimed that the “Shivling” was found close to the “wazookhana” -- a small reservoir used by Muslim devotees to perform ritual ablutions before offering prayers.
“There is only a fountain in the wajookhana in the Gyanvapi mosque. The structure, which the petitioners are claiming to be a Shivling is a fountain. It is a misleading claim,” Rais Ahmad Ansari, an advocate of the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee that manages the Gyanvapi mosque, said.
The claimed finding has reignited a communal debate, with Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya expressing satisfaction over the development, while All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi said that Muslims are not prepared to lose “another mosque” after the Babri Masjid.
Civil judge (senior division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar issued directions on sealing an area of the mosque on an appeal by the lawyers representing the Hindu petitioners.
The court order was based on a petition filed by an advocate that there was some concrete evidence that needed to be protected.
Rais said this was ex-party order by the court and was given in a hurry. “We are not
satisfied with the order and will challenge it soon,” said Ansari.
Along with the counsels representing the mosque management committee, they had accompanied the team conducting the survey, headed by a court-appointed advocate commissioner.
The judge directed the district magistrate, police commissioner and CRPF commandant in Varanasi to ensure the security of the sealed area.
Special advocate commissioner Vishal Singh said, “A detailed report of the survey proceedings is being prepared. We are trying to submit it in the Court on May 17.”
The local court had ordered the videography survey of the mosque during the hearing of the plea by five women seeking permission for daily prayers before the idols on the mosque’s outer walls.
The survey was initially stalled by the mosque management, alleging that the commissioner assigned to the task was biased.
Monday’s survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex started at 8 am and ended around 10.15 am.
“All parties were satisfied with the work,” Varanasi district magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma told reporters.
He said the next order of the court will be known only on Tuesday, the deadline set by it for the advocate commissioner to submit the survey report.
Till then nobody should disclose what has been found inside the court complex, the DM said.
“However, if anyone is disclosing it on his own, then its authenticity cannot be proved. Only the court is the custodian of this information,” he said.
Earlier, while reporting the “finding” to the media, Madan Mohan Yadav, who represents the Hindu side, said he and senior advocate Harishankar Jain had submitted an application in the district court to secure the “shivling”.