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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to pass interim status quo order on the survey of Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.
The apex court, however, has agreed to consider listing of a plea by the Muslim against the survey of the Gyanvapi premises.
A bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana was told by senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, appearing for the Muslim side in the case, that a plea has been filed against the survey being conducted at the site.
The CJI-led bench was yet to decide on the urgent listing of the plea. “I do not know anything. How can I pass such an order? I will read. Let me see,” CJI Ramana said.
The Muslim side has been referring to the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 and its section 4 which bars filing of any suit or initiating any other legal proceeding for a conversion of the religious character of any place of worship, as existing on August 15, 1947.
“We have filed in relation to a survey which has been directed to be conducted in relation to the Varanasi property. This (Gyanvapi) has been a mosque since time immemorial and this is clearly interdicted by the Places of Worship Act,” Ahmadi said.
A Varanasi local court had on Thursday rejected a plea to replace the advocate commissioner it had appointed for conducting a video survey of the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex and set a deadline of May 17 for the same.
The district court also appointed two more lawyers to help the advocate commissioner carry out the survey at the mosque, which is located close to the iconic Kashi Vishwanath temple. It ordered the police to register FIRs if there are attempts to scuttle the exercise.
The apex court, however, has agreed to consider listing of a plea by the Muslim against the survey of the Gyanvapi premises.
A bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana was told by senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, appearing for the Muslim side in the case, that a plea has been filed against the survey being conducted at the site.
The CJI-led bench was yet to decide on the urgent listing of the plea. “I do not know anything. How can I pass such an order? I will read. Let me see,” CJI Ramana said.
The Muslim side has been referring to the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 and its section 4 which bars filing of any suit or initiating any other legal proceeding for a conversion of the religious character of any place of worship, as existing on August 15, 1947.
“We have filed in relation to a survey which has been directed to be conducted in relation to the Varanasi property. This (Gyanvapi) has been a mosque since time immemorial and this is clearly interdicted by the Places of Worship Act,” Ahmadi said.
A Varanasi local court had on Thursday rejected a plea to replace the advocate commissioner it had appointed for conducting a video survey of the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex and set a deadline of May 17 for the same.
The district court also appointed two more lawyers to help the advocate commissioner carry out the survey at the mosque, which is located close to the iconic Kashi Vishwanath temple. It ordered the police to register FIRs if there are attempts to scuttle the exercise.
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