Muslim side says ASI's report on Gyanvapi not final verdict

A survey by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) which said that a large Hindu temple existed before the construction of the Gyanvapi Masjid in Varanasi, is only a report and not a decision, the Muslim petitioners in the decades-old case said on Friday, adding that they'd study the document before deciding on their next move.

The statement came even as the Hindu petitioners, lead by lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain who made the ASI report public on Thursday night, said they will approach the Supreme Court for a fresh survey of the sealed area of the mosque which contains a disputed structure, seen as a Shivling by Hindus and a ritual ablution fountain by Muslims.

SM Yasin, the joint secretary of the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee (AIMC) which manages the 15th-century mosque, said the body will go through the ASI survey report, analyse it, consult experts and then decide on its next move.

"In present circumstances, it is our first and foremost responsibility to keep the mosque safe...

ASI has given the report as per its reputation. This is a report and not a decision," Yasin said.

The ASI survey - which conducted a study of architectural remains, exposed features and artefacts, inscriptions, art and sculptures, to conclude that there existed a Hindu temple prior to the construction of the existing structure - marked a decisive turn in the fractious dispute. The findings were a shot in the arm for Hindu petitioners who argue that the mosque was built by Mughal emperors after demolishing a temple and seek rights to the complex.