Vishnu Jain, the lawyer for the petitioners, read the report’s briefings in a press conference.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) report on the Gyanvapi mosque was given to the petitioners today. The Varanasi district judge had yesterday said the report would not be made public and soft copies would not be given to avoid distorted versions making it to social media.
Vishnu Jain, the lawyer for the petitioners, today read out what he claimed was the report’s contents in a press conference. He said the report found a “pre-existing structure and the ASI found a well next to the corridor,” adding that the “central chamber and the main entrance has a pre-existing structure.”
Mr Jain said the ASI in its survey “studied the pillars and plasters and said all were part of the temple.”
“34 inscriptions of Hindu temple were found and the inscriptions are in Devnagri, Granth, Telugu and Kannada. Names of deities Janaradana, Rudra and Umeshwara are found in inscriptions,” Mr Jain said, quoting what he said was the contents of the ASI report.
Mr Jain said the “ASI report saw terms such as Maha Mukti Mandap mentioned in inscriptions,” adding that “pillars from an earlier temple were reused while making cellars.”
The lawyer citing the report claimed, “ASI, in its conclusive finding, said There existed a large Hindu Temple prior to the construction of the existing structure.” The petitioners’ lawyer has said that they will ask for an ASI survey of Wazukhana.
The Varanasi district judge yesterday announced that no soft copies will be distributed to avoid distorted versions making it to social media, especially given the sensitivity of the case.
The Gyanvapi report was filed in a Varanasi court in a sealed cover nearly a month ago. The report is crucial to the decision in the case, in which the petitioners claim the mosque was built over a temple and so they want the right to worship there.
The ASI had been surveying the mosque since August 4 last year. It has only left out the Wazukhana area, which was sealed by the order of the Supreme Court.
