The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has rejected the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) survey report on the Gyanvapi mosque.
The ASI, which on the order of a court had conducted a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque premises in Varanasi and submitted the survey report to the district court earlier, found evidence of a Hindu temple there.
The AIMPLB had also contested the Ram Janmabhoomi/Babri masjid litigation in the Supreme Court.
In a statement, AIMPLB executive member Qasim Rasool Ilyas said the ASI report was not conclusive evidence in this controversial case.
“By doing this, the opposition party (Hindu side) has created an atmosphere of anarchy and insecurity in the society,” he said, while also accusing the Hindu side of “insulting” the court by releasing the ASI report in the media.
“Hindu communal organisations are misleading the public for many years regarding the Gyanvapi masjid. The latest example is the ASI report which they filed in court and made available to the plaintiff and defendant only on court orders,” he said.
He alleged that the Hindu side tried its best to create unrest in society months before when the survey team, in its report, had described the fountain present in the reservoir as a ‘Shivling’.
The AIMPLB response came after the Hindu plaintiffs’ advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain claimed, citing the ASI report, that there was evidence to prove that the Gyanvapi mosque had been built after demolishing a Hindu temple in the 17th century.
Meanwhile, an office-bearer of the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee (AIMC), which manages the Gyanvapi mosque, said he would not speak about the Archaeological Survey of India’s survey report until he himself and his legal team read it (the report) properly.
He, however, said that he was not satisfied with the report.
“Until, I and my team of lawyers read this report, I will not speak anything on this ASI report. After the report is studied, then only we will speak on the report,” AIMC joint secretary SM Yasin said.
Akhlaque Ahmad, one of the counsel representing the AIMC, said: “We have started studying the survey report and have perused a few initial pages. The ASI survey report comprises 839 pages. It will take a few days to complete its study.”
“So far, our legal team has not held any meeting regarding the matter. But we will hold a meeting soon. After going through the report, we will make a comment on it with concrete facts as to why we are dissatisfied with it,” Ahmad added.