Hindu side demands excavation by ASI in Gyanvapi case

Varanasi: Lawyers representing the Hindu side in the ongoing Gyanvapi case submitted their arguments before the Civil Judge Senior Division Yughul Shambhu on Thursday, calling for a detailed survey of the remaining parts of the Gyanvapi complex by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Advocate Madan Mohan Yadav, representing the Hindu side, argued that the ASI’s previous survey was incomplete and that a comprehensive report could not be provided without further excavation. Yadav urged the court to order an excavation of the entire complex to accurately assess the area. The case was adjourned, and the next hearing is scheduled for October 16.

The Hindu side’s submission came in response to the arguments presented by the Muslim side, the Anjuman Intezamia Committee, two days earlier. On October 8, the Muslim side argued that another survey was unnecessary, as the ASI had already conducted one previously.

They questioned the validity of conducting an additional survey while the Hindu side has already appealed the case in higher courts, including the Allahabad High Court and the Supreme Court.

The committee’s lawyers also expressed concerns about the practicality of excavation, stating that digging within the mosque premises could cause significant damage.

The dispute centres around the Gyanvapi complex, where the Hindu side claims that the original location of a ‘Jyotirlinga’ is beneath the dome of what they believe is a mosque. They argue that water from the sacred ‘Argha’ once flowed into the Gyanvapi Kund, a site believed to bestow knowledge upon pilgrims.