Muslim side objects to plea seeking carbon dating of \'Shivling\' in Gyanvapi mosque

VARANASI: The Muslim side in the Gyanvapi mosque-Shringar Gauri complex case on Thursday filed an objection in the court against Hindu plaintiffs' plea for the carbon dating of the "Shivling" claimed to be found on the masjid premises.

One of the Hindu petitioners in the case also objected to the carbon dating of the object, saying any scientific testing may harm it.

The court has reserved its order for October 7.

Hindu petitioners had during a court-mandated videography survey of the mosque premises claimed that a "Shivling" was found close to the "wazookhana", a small reservoir used by Muslim devotees to perform ritual ablutions before offering the namaz.

The claim was disputed by the Muslim side, which said the object was part of a "fountain".

District Government Advocate Mahendra Pandey said Hindu petitioners had demanded the carbon dating of the structure, on which the Muslim side lodged an objection.

The Muslim side contended that the Supreme Court has asked the Varanasi District Magistrate to keep the structure safe. In such a situation, getting it examined cannot be justified, they said.

The Muslim side also said the original case is about the worship of Shringar Gauri while the structure in the mosque has nothing to do with it.

In such a condition, neither any investigation can be done by the Archaeological Department nor a legal report be called after conducting a scientific investigation.

Man Bahadur Singh, the advocate of Rakhi Singh, a Hindu plaintiff in the Gyanvapi mosque-Shringar Gauri complex case, also objected to the carbon dating of the structure.

Singh told the court that any scientific testing of the "Shivling" found in the Gyanvapi complex could harm it. Therefore, its carbon dating or scientific testing is not appropriate, he told the court.

Pandey said the Muslim side supported Rakhi Singh's stand on carbon dating but disagreed on the fact that the figure was a “Shivling”.