"There is evidence...": After for Hindu side after court directs publication of ASI survey of Gyanvapi mosque

Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 24 : Hours after the Varanasi district court on Wednesday directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) report be made public, advocate Hari Shankar Jain, the counsel for the Hindu side, claimed that "there is evidence to show that the mandir was demolished to make way for the construction of the mosque."
Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, Advocate Jain said, "A lot of objections were raised to making the ASI report public. However, the learned court, after hearing the arguments on both sides, ruled in favour of making the report available for both parties. The report will be made public and everyone will get to know what's in it."
Further weighing in on the court ruling, the counsel for the Hindu side told ANI, "The report will tell us what the ASI has to say about the building (Gyanvapi mosque). However, the question crossing every mind right now is this: will the report throw light on whether a temple demolished was demolished to construct the so-called mosque?"
He claimed that there is 'evidence' to determine beyond any reasonable doubt that a temple was razed to raise the mosque.
"I am sure the ASI, in its report, will bring this aspect of the dispute very clearly. It should as there is evidence that there used to be a mandir, which was demolished to build the so-called mosque," the counsel for the Hindu side said.
Earlier, on Wednesday, the Varanasi district court directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to make public its report and provide hard copies of the same to both parties in the Gyanvapi dispute.
On January 16, the Supreme Court allowed an application by women Hindu petitioners seeking direction for cleaning the entire area of 'wazukhana' of the Gyanvapi mosque where the alleged 'Shivling' was found and ensuring that the space in question was in 'hygienic' state.
A Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said the area of 'wazukhana' shall be cleaned under the supervision of the district administration of Varanasi while referring to previous orders of the apex court.
Gyanvapi mosque management committee said it supports cleaning of the water tank, which has remained sealed for nearly two years following an apex court order.
The area of 'wazukhana' was sealed in 2022 following a Supreme Court order after the discovery of what was said to be a 'Shivling'.
The structure, which was claimed to be a 'Shivling' by the Hindu side and a 'fountain' by the Muslim side, was found in the mosque premises on May 16, 2022, during a court-mandated survey of the building located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple.
The 'Wazu' area is at the centre of the Gyanvapi mosque-Kashi Vishwanath temple dispute in the case, with both sides staking claim to the structure discovered during the court-mandated survey.