New Delhi: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Tuesday, May 24, submitted its reply on the Qutb Minar case to a Saket Court where it opposed the plea to revive the temple at the location. “Qutb Minar has been a protected monument since 1914 and its structure cannot be changed now”. “The revival of worship cannot be allowed at a monument where such a practice was not prevalent at the time of it being granted the “protected” status,” the ASI said.
The Ministry of Culture had ordered the ASI to submit its excavation report.
Excavation can be started in the south of the minaret at a distance of 15 meters from the mosque.
The Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Govind Mohan, took the decisions during a site visit with officials on Saturday, May 21.
“The plea by the Hindu petitioners is legally not maintainable”. “The destruction of old temples to build the Qutb Minar complex is a matter of historical fact”. The Qutb Minar complex is a living monument that has been protected since 1914, No one has the right to worship in the complex”, the ASI said.
The ASI further informed the court “We cannot change the character of the protected area as there was no practice of worship at the time the monument was placed under protection. “We cannot allow permission to worship now”.
Earlier this month, activists from the Mahakal Manav Seva and other right-wing outfits were seen staging a protest, holding placards and raising slogans, amid heavy police deployment at the Qutb Minar,They demanded that the iconic monument be renamed ‘Vishnu Stambh’.
Meanwhile,the hearing for the Gyanvapi Mosque case is to begin at 2:00 PM today, Verdict is likely to be out today.
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