Will move HC, says UP Sunni Central Waqf Board

LUCKNOW : Reacting to the judgment, UP Sunni Central Waqf Board said the order of the Civil Judge, Varanasi ordering a survey by the Archaeological Survey of India will be challenged before the High Court.

“Our understanding is clear that this case is barred by the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. The Places of Worship Act was upheld by a fivejudge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court in the Ayodhya judgment. The status of Gyanvapi Masjid is, as such, beyond question,” said Zufar Ahmad Faruqi, chairman, UP Sunni Central Waqf Board, in a statement.

“Even otherwise, we can say as per legal advice that the order of survey is questionable because technical

from central university and an observer, said Rastogi.

Advocate Abhay Nath Yadav, who represented UP Sunni central Waqf Board in the court in this matter, expressed dissatisfaction over the order and said that he would challenge the order in the High Court.

Anjuman Intezamia Masazid committee is also the party in the case. The Anjuman Intezamia Masazid Committee Joint Secretary SM Yasin said, “I am dissatisfied with the decision and will challenge it in the court.” Rastogi filed the petition for survey in the fast track court of civil judge senior division in December 2019. In January 2020, In the same court, the Sunni Central Waqf Board and Anjuman Intezamia Masajid challenged the petition in the same court. They filed an objection petition. In February, the court of the civil judge (senior division fast track court) rejected the objection petition and ordered to continue the hearing further. The challenge was rejected by the Civil Judge Senior Division on February 25, 2020. Immediately after that Sunni Central Waqf Board and Anjuman Intzamia Masajid filed a monitoring petition in the court of District Judge, Varanasi against this decision. The next date in the matter is on April 12.