There is an ongoing legal dispute concerning the Gyanvapi mosque premises in Varanasi, India. The dispute revolves around a structure found on the mosque premises during a survey, with one party claiming it to be a Shiva Linga (a Hindu religious symbol) and the other party disputing this claim. Here is a summary of the events:
- On July 22, 2023, the Varanasi district court judge AK Vishwesha allowed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque premises, excluding the area previously sealed by the Supreme Court.
- The Muslim parties involved in the case moved a plea before the Allahabad High Court on the following Tuesday, challenging the Varanasi court’s order allowing the ASI survey.
- On July 24, 2023, the Supreme Court of India intervened in the matter and ordered a status quo to be maintained until July 26, 5 PM. This decision came after the Muslim side approached the top court against the Varanasi court’s order.
- The Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, took note that the district court had passed the order allowing the survey on July 22 at 4:30 PM.
- In order to provide the Muslim side with sufficient time to challenge the survey order before the Allahabad High Court, the Supreme Court directed that the district court’s order should not be implemented until July 26.
- The matter at hand concerns the disputed claims over the nature of the structure found on the mosque premises. The Hindu parties in the case claim it to be a Shiva Linga, while the Muslim parties dispute this claim.
- Previously, on October 14 of the previous year, the district court had rejected a plea for a scientific investigation into the nature of the object.
- However, on May 12 of the current year, the Allahabad High Court held that a scientific investigation could be conducted to ascertain whether the object was a Shiva Linga or a fountain, without causing any damage to the object.
- The Supreme Court had temporarily deferred the High Court’s direction while seeking responses from the Central and Uttar Pradesh governments on the appeal filed by a Muslim party challenging the High Court’s direction.
- Despite the pending matter before the top court, the District Court ordered the ASI survey of the mosque premises on July 21, 2023, leading to the present plea filed by the Muslim parties.
Name- Divya Choudhary , College- National University of Study and Research in Law, Ranchi. Semester-2nd semester (1ST Year), an intern under Legal Vidhiya.
