The Gyanvapi mosque is seen on the second day of the ASI’s scientific survey work to determine whether the 17th-century mosque was constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple, in Varanasi, Saturday, August 5, 2023.
Credit: PTI Photo
The Muslim representatives have threatened to "disassociate" themselves with the ongoing survey of the contentious Gyanvapi Mosque by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) if "rumours" that remains of idols were found inside the Mosque were not checked.
Lawyer for the Muslim petitioners, Mumtaz Ahmed told reporters in Varanasi on Sunday that a section of the media had been ''spreading rumours'' that ''idols, trident, and pitcher'' had been found in the cellar of the mosque during the ASI survey.
''We will disassociate ourselves with the survey if these rumours are not checked,'' Ahmed said.
Another senior Muslim cleric, who was also among the representatives, said that Gyanvapi would always remain a mosque.
The survey of Gyanvapi premises continued for the fourth day on Sunday. The ASI team plans to use the Ground Penetrating Radar technology to ascertain, without digging, what lies underneath the premises.
The scientific survey of the mosque premises began again on Friday after the Allahabad High Court rejected the petition filed by the Muslim litigants seeking a stay on the Varanasi court's order for a scientific survey by the ASI.
The premises has been a bone of contention between the two communities for the past several decades. However, there was a renewed clamour to ''take back'' the Kashi Vishwanath Temple premises by the saffron outfits after the favourable decision of SC in the Ram Temple case.
The Hindu petitioners contended that a part of the temple had been demolished by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in the 17th century. The Muslim side contended that the mosque existed before the reign of Aurangzeb and also claimed that the same had also been mentioned in the land records.