New Delhi: The Supreme court on Friday refused to grant an interim order of status quo on the survey of the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex at Varanasi in UP. However, the court agreed to consider listing the plea by the Muslim party against the survey of the Gyanvapi premises, news agency PTI reported.
The SC bench consisting of CJI NV Ramana and Justices J K Maheshwari and Hima Kohli was told by senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, appearing for the Muslim side in the Gyanvapi mosque case, that a plea has been filed against the survey being conducted at the site. To this, the bench responded that it would consider the urgent listing of the plea.
We have filed in relation to a survey that has been directed to be conducted in relation to the Varanasi property. This (Gyanvapi) has been a mosque since time immemorial and this is clearly interdicted by the Places of Worship Act, Ahmadi said.
He asked the court to pass the order of status quo, to which the CJI said, “I do not know anything. How can I pass such an order? I will read. Let me see.”
The video survey of the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri is being continued amid protests. As per PTI, the Muslim side has been referring to the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 and its section 4 which bars filing of any suit or initiating any other legal proceeding for a conversion of the religious character of any place of worship, as existing on August 15, 1947.
Meanwhile, on Thursday a Varanasi court rejected a plea to replace the advocate commissioner appointed by the court who was conducting the videography survey of the complex and ordered the completion of the task by May 17.
In addition, the court also appointed two more lawyers to help the advocate commissioner carry out the survey. It also ordered the police to register FIRs if there are attempts to scuttle the exercise.