It is a fountain, not Shivling, says Owaisi on Gyanvapi mosque row

Hyderabad: Following the petitioner's claim of the finding of a Shivling in Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi after the conclusion of the court-monitored survey, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday said the structure is not a Shivling but a fountain. "It is a fountain, not 'Shivling'. Every masjid has this fountain. Why the claim was not raised by the commissioner of the Court? The order of sealing the spot is a violation of the 1991 Act," said AIMIM chief A Owaisi on a petitioner's claim that 'Shivling' found in Gyanvapi masjid.

As the third day of the court-ordered videography survey of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple-Gyanvapi Mosque complex in Varanasi concluded on Monday, the Hindu petitioner in the case, Sohan Lal Arya claimed that the committee found a Shivling at the complex. Arya, who accompanied the court commission for the mosque survey, said that they have found "conclusive evidence".

This comes a day ahead of the Supreme Court's hearing on a plea seeking a stay on the survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque complex. A bench, headed by Justice DY Chandrachud, will hear the plea of the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee tomorrow, May 17. The three days long survey, however, has been completed. The survey was conducted in accordance with the Varanasi Civil Court's order to continue the survey despite objections from the mosque authorities. After the conclusion of the survey, the Varanasi court ordered the District Magistrate of Varanasi, Kaushal Raj Sharma, "to seal the area where the Shivling was found and to bar people from going to the place."

ANI