Amid tight security arrangements, Archaeological Survey of India ( ASI) commenced its scientific survey of Gyanvapi premises excluding the Wajukhana on early Monday morning.
Though the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee has moved a petition in the Supreme Court against the Varanasi district judge order of the ASI survey, on Monday morning at around 7 am a team of over 30 ASI members along with Hindu women plaintiff and their counsels, and councils for the Gyanvapi mosque management committee reached Gyanvapi for the survey.
According to sources, the ASI late on Sunday evening decided to commence the survey from Monday morning.
The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee is boycotting the survey. The committee member said, “We have boycotted the ASI survey. Neither we, nor our advocate were present in the Gyanvapi mosque during the ASI survey.”
The member said that they have requested the ASI to postpone the survey as the matter could be heared by the Supreme Court on Monday.
District judge A K Vishvesh directed the ASI on Friday last to conduct a detailed scientific survey of Gyanvapi.
The mosque’s “wazookhana”, will not be part of the survey, following an earlier Supreme Court order protecting that spot in the complex.
The judge has directed the ASI to submit a report to the court by August 4, along with video clips and photographs of the survey proceedings.