Gyanapi Mosque: SC revives Gyanvapi panel's disposed plea amid ASI survey stay

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PTI, a bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra acknowledged the arguments presented by senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, representing the Committee of Management Anjuman Intezamia of the Gyanvapi mosque. Ahmadi stated that the court inadvertently disposed of the main plea during the last hearing, contrary to the interim plea seeking a halt to the ASI work.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Uttar Pradesh government and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), stated that he has no objections to the revival of the special leave petition filed by the mosque committee. In the primary plea, the mosque committee had requested the dismissal of the lawsuit filed by the Hindu party in the Varanasi district court under Order VII Rule 11(c) of the Civil Procedure Code.

The plea cited that the filing was done on an inadequately "stamped and authorized" paper as grounds for dismissal. Meanwhile, the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday resumed the hearing of a plea challenging a district court's order, which had instructed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a survey to ascertain whether the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi was constructed over a temple.

As reported by PTI, Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker heard the arguments in the case on Tuesday and scheduled further proceedings for Wednesday. On Tuesday, the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid, responsible for the management of the mosque, approached the high court after the Supreme Court temporarily suspended the ASI survey until 5 pm on Wednesday, granting the mosque management committee the opportunity to challenge the lower court's directive.