Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee Comments on ASI Survey Report Regarding Gyanvapi Mosque

The Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee, the governing body of the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi – located near the Kashi Vishwanath Temple – has issued a response to the ASI survey report. It emphasized the report does not constitute the final word on the matter, nor does it function like a court judgement. The ASI report had suggested the mosque had been constructed on the remains of a prominent Hindu temple.

Gyanvapi Panel’s Statement

Representatives from the Gyanvapi panel have stated they are reviewing the details of the ASI report. As clarified by Mohd Yasin, the committee’s secretary, the survey report is not a final judgment and just one of many reports. He added the Muslim parties involved in the dispute will present their perspectives when the Supreme Court schedules hearing sessions related to the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.

Stance of the Hindu Representative

Commenting on the issue, Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, who represents Hindu interests in the Gyanvapi Masjid-Kashi Vishwanath temple case, disclosed on Thursday that the ASI survey found evidence of a Hindu temple within the mosque complex. Jain further proposes the mosque’s construction was a result of a temple demolition during Aurangzeb’s reign. Jain cited that relics of Hindu gods were unearthed in two basement areas during the archaeological survey.

ASI Report and Its Findings

According to Jain, the ASI report underlined certain components of the pre-existing temple were recycled during the mosque’s construction. Jain emphasized the ASI’s conclusion that a large Hindu Temple had existed before the current structure. Additionally, architectural evidence, decorative wall moldings, a large decorated entrance gate, and an inscription in Arabic Persian suggests the mosque’s construction occurred during Aurangzeb’s 20th regnal year, likely following the destruction of a pre-existing Hindu temple in the 17th century.

Discoveries in the Survey

Jain also stated that the survey uncovered 32 inscriptions composed in various scripts, including Devanagari, Grantha, Telugu, and Kannada. Amidst these developments, Giriraj Singh, a BJP leader demanded that the mosque be returned to Hindus. Prahlad Patel, a minister from Madhya Pradesh, endorsed the ASI’s findings and expected worldwide acceptance of these results.

Reactions to the Report

In reaction to the report, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi criticized the ASI for presenting a biased viewpoint in support of Hindutva. He stressed the report was based on conjecture, lacked scientific rigor, and wouldn’t withstand professional scrutiny from scholars, archaeologists, or historians. In compliance with the Varanasi district court’s orders, the ASI conducted a survey to investigate the presence of a temple at the mosque’s site.

Distribution of ASI Survey Report

Earlier this week, the court ruled that copies of the ASI survey report would be available to both Hindu and Muslim sides involved. As the news comes from the source of Reader Wall.

Inputs from PTI, ANI