The Allahabad High Court will hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) plea seeking a directive to the Uttar Pradesh Government to seal the entire premises of the Gyanvapi Mosque today, August 8. The petition aims to secure the entire Gyanvapi Mosque Complex without impacting the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Survey order. Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker and Justice Ashutosh Srivastava are set to preside over the hearing.
The PIL plea also seeks a prohibition on the entry of non-Hindus into the contested complex area of Gyanvapi Mosque. The plea asserts that this measure is indispensable to safeguard the historical and religious heritage embodied by the Sri Adi Vishweshwar temple, which has been transformed into the Gyanvapi Mosque. The petition's objective is to ensure the preservation of the ancient remnants of the temple which as per the plaintiff is now recognized as the Gyanvapi Mosque.
The PIL is initiated by the Chief of the Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh, Jitendra Singh Visesn, Rakhi Singh (Plaintiff no. 1 in the Shringar Gauri Worshipping suit 2022), and other concerned parties.
The PIL plea puts forth the claim that the disputed site, identified as settlement Plot No. 9130 Ward and PS- Dashaswamedh, District Varanasi, once housed a grand temple.
Gyanvapi ASI Survey
The ongoing ASI survey of the Gyanvapi mosque encountered a brief hiatus on Monday due to a surge of devotees converging on the adjacent Kashi Vishwanath temple. A throng of worshippers gathered at the Kashi Vishwanath temple, leading to a delayed commencement of the survey, which eventually kicked off at 11 am. The survey ended at 5 pm.
In the course of the survey, representatives from the Anjuman Intezamia Mosque Committee, the management of the Gyanvapi mosque, and the local Imam were also present to oversee the proceedings.
The survey resumed at approximately 8 am today for the fifth day. Activities including measurement, mapping, and photography of the entire complex are being executed in alignment with the court directives.