Varanasi: A Varanasi court on Friday rejected the plea seeking carbon dating and scientific investigation of the purported 'Shivling' claimed to be found in the Gyanvapi mosque complex. "The Hindu side had claimed that a 'Shivling' was found on the premises near the 'wazukhana' during the videography survey of the mosque premises, which was ordered by the court."
Earlier in the day, the hearing of the Gyanvapi Shringar Gauri case was taken up in the district court in Varanasi on Friday. The court pronounced its verdict by dismissing the demand for a scientific investigation by the Archaeological Survey of India of the alleged 'Shivling' found in the 'wazu khana' of the Gyanvapi mosque.
Earlier, the Masjid Committee, while presenting its arguments, said that a scientific investigation of the alleged 'Shivling' cannot be conducted as it may harm the evidence, which goes against the court's order. Citing the Supreme Court's order of May 17, 2022, to keep the place of the alleged Shivling safe and protected, the committee alleged that digging there or doing anything separately would not be appropriate. Moreover, Hindu parties are demanding the collection of evidence by the commission in Gyanvapi, while there is no such provision for it in the Code of Civil Procedure, they argued.
Also read: Gyanvapi Mosque case: Hindu side demands 'scientific investigation of Shivling' by ASI
The litigants of the Hindu side, in their defence, said that it is necessary to get the Shivling and its surrounding area scientifically examined by an expert team so that the age of the Shivling, its length, width and depth can be ascertained realistically. In August 2021, under the leadership of Jitendra Singh Visen, the head of Vishwa Vaidik Sanatan Sangh, Rakhi Singh of Delhi and Sita Sahu, Manju Vyas, Rekha Pathak and Lakshmi Devi of Varanasi filed a case in the court of Civil Judge Senior Division Ravi Kumar Diwakar. The five women had demanded that permission be given for regular worship at the Shringar Gauri temple located in the Gyanvapi complex.
Along with this, arrangements should be made for the protection of the deities located in the Gyanvapi complex. Advocate Anupam Dwivedi associated with the petition of Prabhu Narayan, a scientist and also the chairman of the Indian Scientific Research Centre and Fellowship Centre, said that this petition will prove to be the backbone for all the cases. Prabhu Narayan, an environmentalist living in Dhurva, Jharkhand, has demanded that the mosque be removed and a temple be built there to save the cultural heritage.
Reacting to the development, religious scholar Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali said he hoped the issue would be solved peacefully as soon as possible. "There is still a long battle to be fought. This is just the beginning of the victorious battle. I hope such an issue is not raised again, as it only weakens the social cohesion of our country" he observed.
