Varanasi court allows archeological survey of mosque adjacent to temple
A district court in Varanasi yesterday allowed an archaeological survey of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple-Gyanvapi mosque complex.
The court had earlier this March issued a notice seeking the “restoration” of a temple at the site of the Gyanvapi Mosque in the city, Bar and Bench had reported.
The petition was filed by a lawyer VS Rastogi who demanded the restoration of the land entailing Gyanvapi Mosque to Hindus claiming that Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1664 pulled down a portion of 2000 year old Kashi Vishwanath Temple to build the Gyanvyapi Mosque there.
The petition was opposed by the Gyanvyapi Mosque management committee but now the court has allowed for the ASI survey of the mosque, Times Now reported.
All expenses relating to the archeological survey are to be borne by the government.
