AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi Raises Concerns Over Gyanvapi Survey, Cites Ayodhya Judgment

New Delhi, August 5, 2023: As the controversial scientific survey of the Gyanvapi complex, housing a mosque in Varanasi, unfolds, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi expressed his hopes that the observation made by the Supreme Court in the landmark Ayodhya judgment regarding the Places of Worship Act would not be dishonored.

Owaisi stated that he wishes to avoid the repetition of significant dates like “neither 23rd December nor 6th December,” referring to the first time the idol of Ram Lalla is said to have appeared inside the Babri Masjid in 1949 and the subsequent demolition of the mosque by Kar Sevaks in 1992.

“Once the #Gyanvapi ASI reports are made public, who knows how things will pan out. One hopes that neither 23rd December nor 6th December will repeat,” Owaisi posted on X.

He further emphasized the importance of honoring the Supreme Court’s observation on the sanctity of the Places of Worship Act, stating, “The hope is that the floodgates for a thousand Babris will not be opened.”

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is currently conducting a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi complex to ascertain whether the mosque is built upon a temple. The ‘wazukhana’ of the mosque, where Hindu litigants claim a ‘shivling’ exists, will not be part of the survey due to a previous Supreme Court order protecting that spot in the complex.

Hindu activists assert that a temple existed at the site before it was allegedly demolished in the 17th century on the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

The Supreme Court, on Friday, refused to stay the Allahabad High Court order on the survey. However, the bench, led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, instructed the ASI not to carry out any invasive acts during the survey. The Muslim side fears that the survey will reopen wounds from the past and create tensions.

As the survey continues, all eyes remain on the findings and their potential implications for the historical site and communal harmony.