Bhopal: The findings of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) about Gyanvapi mosque will get acceptance across the world, Madhya Pradesh rural development minister Prallhad Patel said on Saturday.
Mr Patel, who is a former Union minister of tourism and culture, said that ASI is considered a renowned institution in the field not only in the country but also across the world and hence, its findings will ‘get global acceptance’.
Mr Patel’s remarks, made in Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, came in the wake of reports that ASI has found remains of a pre-existing temple under the Gyanvapi mosque.
“If anyone does the work of looking at history through the prism of history, it is ASI. Hence, the country and the world will accept its findings. ASI’s report presented to the court will throw more light on the matter”, he said.
Mr Patel said that ASI has carried out many important assignments in the field abroad and archaeologists retired from ASI visit countries for archaeological conservation and research works.
“ASI has an important contribution to the archaeology of the world”, he added.
He cited the Ram Janmabhoomi case and said that eminent archaeologists were involved in it.
The lawyer of Hindu petitioners in Kashi Vishwanath- Gyanvapi case Vishnu Shankar Jain has earlier claimed that the survey by ASI in Gyanvapi has indicated that a pre-existing temple was razed to ground to build a mosque over it.
Copies of the 839-page report on the findings of ASI about Gyanvapi were made available to the parties concerned on Thursday evening.
The issue is now pending with the court.
Mr Jain has claimed that the mosque was built by demolishing a temple in the 17th century during the reign of Aurangzeb.
