DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2024, AHMEDABAD, LATE CITY, 24 PAGES `5.00 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 REPORT ON SURVEY OF MOSQUE COMPLEX IN VARANASI Hindu temple existed where the Gyanvapi mosque stands: ASI ‘Pre-existing structure appears to have been destroyed during reign of Aurangzeb, part of it modified, reused’ ASAD REHMAN & ANANTHAKRISHNAN G VARANASI, NEW DELHI, JAN 25 Prime Minister Narendra Modi with French President Emmanuel Macron at a roadshow in Jaipur on Thursday. The two leaders later held talks. Macron will be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade in New Delhi on Friday. Rohit Jain Paras REPORT,PAGE10 Nitish at U-turn again, BJP holds consultations, allies hold breath SANTOSH SINGH & LIZ MATHEW PATNA, NEW DELHI, JAN 25 THERULINGJD(U)-RJD-Congress alliance in Bihar teetered on the brink Thursday evening with intense speculation in political circlesin bothPatna andNewDelhi that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar couldcrossovertotheNDAagain. Amid talk of a deepening rift, the RJD and JD(U) held separate meetings while BJP state president Samrat Choudhary left for Delhi to hold discussions with BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY top BJP leaders. He was accompanied by former BJP deputy chief minister Renu Devi. While the RJD played down any such possibility, and there was no word from the Congress, INDIA bloc parties were bracing for the damaging blow should one of its tallest leaders exit. If Nitishcrossesover,thiswouldbe the fourth time he would be switching sides. On the BJP side, at least three state leaders told The Indian Express that for the party, this would be a “win-win,” as it CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 APURVA VISHWANATH President Droupadi Murmu addresses the nation on R-Day eve. Rashtrapati Bhavan NEW DELHI, JANUARY 25 ASI surveyed the Gyanvapi mosque complex last year litigants in matters related to the dispute over the site. The report stated: “Based on scientific studies/survey carried out, study of architectural remains, exposed features and artefacts, inscriptions, art and sculptures, it can be said that there existed a Hindu temple prior to the construction of the existing structure.” “The Arabic-Persian inscription found inside a room CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE LEGAL test before the civil courtinVaranasiandtheSupreme Courtiswhetheratitlesuitcanexist on the Kashi VishwanathGyanvapi mosque disputed site since the Places of Worship (SpecialProvisions)Act,1991,puts a constitutional bar on it. Section 3 and Section4of the 1991 Act essentially declare that the religious character of a place of worship, barring the one at Ayodhya, shall continuetobethesame as it was on August 15, 1947, and that no person shall convert any place of worship of any religious denomination into one of a different denomination DIVYA A NEW DELHI, JANUARY 25 The Hindu women who moved the Varanasi court E EXPLAINED JAIPUR WELCOME THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL Survey of India (ASI), tasked by the Varanasi district court in July 2023 to conduct a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex, has concluded that “there existed a Hindu temple prior to the construction of the existing structure” at the site. Hindu litigants have claimed thatthemosquewasbuiltonthe site of the original Kashi Vishwanath temple after its destruction in the 17th century. The ASI, which was tasked to ascertain whether the mosque was “constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple”, submitted its report to the courtlastmonthinasealedcover. ItscopieswerehandedThursday bythecourttoHinduandMuslim The test ahead: Law on places of worship, and the challenge it faces Ram temple landmark in re-discovery of heritage: President or section. This is the constitutionalbarunder the Places of Worship Act, 1991 which forms ● the basis of deciding the title of the disputed site. While hearing a plea challenging the maintainability of the Gyanvapi suit, the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CALLINGTHEconsecrationceremony at the new Ram temple in Ayodhya a “landmark in India's continued re-discovery of its civilisationalheritage”,President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said the temple was an expressionof people'sfaith,andatestament to their trust in the judicial process. Addressing the nation on the eve of the 75th Republic Day, Murmu said: “Earlier this week, we witnessed the historic CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 EXPRESS NETWORK PAK ALLEGES ‘INDIAN AGENTS’ BEHIND TARGETED KILLINGS, INDIA DENIES J&K POLICE SEEK DETAILS OF VALLEY RESIDENTS, KIN PAGE 19 The Indian Express wishes its readers HAPPY REPUBLIC DAY We are closed today. There will be no edition of the paper on Saturday, January 27, 2024. VADODARA BOAT CAPSIZE KILLS 14 VMC sacked arrested ex-town planner in 2004; his firm linked to bullet train, Saryu projects ADITI RAJA VADODARA, JANUARY 25 GOPALDAS SHAH, who was arrested Thursday in the boat capsize case where 12 children and two teachers were killed on January 18 at Harni's Motnath lakeinVadodara,is formertown planner of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) whoseserviceswereterminated by the civic body in 2004. However, he took VMC to the High Court against the termination alleging "political pressure" and won the case in 2019. Meanwhile, Gopal, an architect by profession, set up a firm named Planning Solutions Private Ltd that has been hired by various state government agencies as a consultant for ongoingprojects,includingthebullet train. Planning Solutions Private Limited has been linked to various redevelopment projects, including at Pavagadh Mahakali Temple and the Saryu project in Ayodhya. The firm is a partner at M/s KotiaProjectswhoseownerBinit KotiawasalsoarrestedbytheSIT for not ensuring the safety CONTINUEDONPAGE2 Ahmedabad