The Allahabad High Court in the Gyanvapi Mosque-Kashi Vishwanath Temple dispute, asked the Director General (DG) of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to file a personal affidavit in compliance with an earlier order on the site at Varanasi where both Muslims and Hindus have laid claim for right to worship.
The bench of Single-judge Justice Prakash Padia said that this matter is of great importance to Nation as the case had been pending since 1991, thus have instructed the DG to comply with the order in letter and spirit.
The order said that since the matter is of National importance and fact that the suit is pending before the trial Court since 1991, this Court hopes and trust that the respondent No.7/the Director General, Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi will comply with the order dated 12.09.2022 in its letter and spirit on or before the next date fixed in the matter, i.e., October 18, 2022.
The Court has granted the DG some additional time as she was unwell and had been advised bed rest.
The single-judge also extended the interim order dated September 9, 2021, which stayed proceedings before Varanasi Court, and allowed a survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque complex by the ASI till October 31, 2022.
The same order was passed last month also as the Court found the earlier affidavit filed by the ASI DG was “very sketchy”, and had thus called for the ASI DG’s personal affidavit.
The petitioner Anjuman Intazamia Masazid had moved the High Court challenging the maintainability of the original suit filed in 1991 before the Varanasi district court.
The matter shall now be heard on October 18, 2022.Both parties were represented by a huge number of advocates to put forward the matter, which is soon going to be heard.