Gyanvapi mosque survey: Varanasi court removes Ajay Mishra as Advocate Commissioner

The lawyers representing Muslims claimed that the Varanasi court did not hear the Muslim lawyers before passing the order to seal the place

A Varanasi court, on Tuesday, removed the advocate commissioner of the Gyanvapi mosque survey for “leaking” survey-related information, even as it granted the commission two more days to submit its report.

The fresh orders come a day after the area inside the contentious mosque was sealed where the Hindu group’s lawyers claimed to have found a ‘Shivling’ during the survey. The court also ordered removal of the survey commissioner or advocate comissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra, who led the videography and survey work inside the mosque, after a few representatives of the Hindu group divulged to the press some of the survey's findings.

The extension was given because the assistant advocate commissioner Ajay Singh said they required more time as there were several hours of videos, and hundreds of photographs to go through. “We are still in the process of compiling the survey report…there are hundreds of photographs and hours of videos...report making will take some more time,” he stated.

Read | Protect area of 'Shivling' but no restriction for Namaz: SC on Gyanvyapi mosque complex

Although the court had earlier ordered that the videography and survey report be submitted by Tuesday, it has now granted two more days. Vishal Singh has been appointed the new advocate commissioner.

According to sources, as part of the survey, there were around 1,500 photographs and 13 hours of videos that were taken over three days.

The court had ordered the videography and photography survey inside the Gyanvapi premises on a petition moved by five women who wanted permission to do daily worship at the Shringar Gauri temple, which was allegedly situated inside the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi Mosque premises.

A couple of days ago, the court had also rejected the petition by the Muslim groups which sought to stop the videography survey and remove advocate commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra.

The court had, on Monday, ordered the district authorities to “seal” the place inside the Gyanvapi Mosque after lawyers advocating for the Hindu side claimed that a ‘Shivling’ was found inside the mosque premises during the survey, which concluded on Monday.

According to the lawyers representing the Hindu side, the ‘Shivling’ was found in the well, which was opposite to the mosque and its water was used by the Muslims for ‘wuzu’ (Islamic way of cleansing body parts before prayers).

Explained | What is the Places of Worship Act, 1991?

The lawyers representing the Muslims, however, refuted the claim saying that what was being called a 'Shivling’ was in fact a “fountain”. They also claimed that the Varanasi court did not hear the Muslim lawyers before passing the order to seal the place.

On Tuesday, the lawyers representing the Hindu petitioners moved court seeking removal of a wall which they said blocked the way to the Shringar Gauri Temple, allegedly situated inside the mosque.

The Gyanvapi mosque, adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, has been a point of discord between the Hindu and Muslim communities for the past few decades. Since the Supreme Court’s decision on Ram Temple in Ayodhya, there has been renewed clamour by saffron outfits to “take back” the Kashi Vishwanath Temple premises.

Some of them had even threatened to demolish what they termed “blots” on the rich history of Hinduism.

The Hindus claimed that the temple had been built by King Vikramaditya, about 2,000 years ago, but it was demolished by Mughal ruler Aurangzeb in the 16th century.

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