Allahabad High Court Adjourns ASI Survey Plea on Gyanvapi Mosque

The Allahabad High Court deferred the hearing of a plea seeking an ASI survey of the Gyanvapi mosque's wazukhana area, fixing November 10 for resumption. The petition challenges an order preventing the ASI from surveying the area except for an alleged shivling structure recognized differently by Hindus and Muslims.

The Allahabad High Court has postponed a decision on a petition calling for an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) examination of the 'wazukhana' area within Varanasi's Gyanvapi mosque, setting the next hearing for November 10.

Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal noted the Supreme Court's interim order that all courts refrain from passing effective orders on surveying religious sites. The case involves a civil revision petition filed by plaintiff Rakhi Singh, contesting a lower court's refusal to direct the ASI to survey the mosque area, except for a contested shivling structure.

The High Court's ruling comes amidst broader legal debates regarding religious site surveys, with the ASI already having submitted one report on the Gyanvapi complex. Singh argues the survey is crucial for determining the site's religious character.

(With inputs from agencies.)