After Friday, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) today resumed its scientific survey work at the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi. The survey is being carried out to ascertain whether the 17th-century mosque was constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple.
According to Government counsel Rajesh Mishra, who accompanied the ASI survey team on Friday as well, said today that the team started work in the morning and it would end at 5 pm.
On Friday, the Supreme Court on Friday gave a nod to the ASI survey of the Gyanvapi mosque, an exercise that the Muslim side says will "reopen wounds of the past".
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However, the bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, however, also instructed the archaeologcal body to refrain from any sort of invasive act during the survey which ruled out the chances of excavations.
The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid committee of Gyanvapi mmosque had earlier challenged the Varanasi court's order in the Allahabad High Court, which dismissed its petition on Thursday. The Muslim body then quickly approached the Supreme Court.
On Friday, the Varanasi court also granted the ASI an additional month to complete the survey, extending its original deadline from Friday to September 4.
