DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2024, LUCKNOW, LATE CITY, 24 PAGES `6.00 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,PAGE15 LAUNCHES SLEW OF PROJECTS IN WESTERN UTTAR PRADESH Don’t need to sound election bugle, people do it for me: PM DHEERAJ MISHRA BULANDSHAHR, JANUARY 25 LAUNCHING A slew of development projects in western Uttar Pradeshinthecountdowntothe Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday thatheonly soundsthe“bugleof vikas” (development) and it is the “janata janardan” (the people) who sound the election bugle for him. UP CM Yogi Adityanath in Bulandshahr, Thursday. PTI Addressing a gathering in Bulandshahr after inaugurating and laying the foundation stone of development projects worth more than Rs 19,100 crore, Modi said, “Today we are making every effort to ensure that benefits of government schemes reach every beneficiary. That’s why Modi is guaranteeing saturation, guaranteeing 100 per cent. This removes any possibility of discrimination or corruption. This is true secularism, true social justice.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 APURVA VISHWANATH President Droupadi Murmu addresses the nation on Thursday. 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 shall continue to be the same as it was on August 15, 1947, and that no person shall convert any place of worshipof anyreligiousdenominationintooneof adifferentdenominationorsection.Thisisthe 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 India history: President on R-Day eve 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 CALLINGTHE consecrationceremony 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 UTTAR PRADESH UP FORMS HIGH-LEVEL PANEL TO FACILITATE DEVOTEES IN AYODHYA PAGE 11 Nitish Kumar at U-turn again, BJP holds talks, allies hold breath SANTOSH SINGH & LIZ MATHEW PATNA, NEW DELHI, JAN 25 THE ruling JD(U)-RJD-Congress alliance in Bihar teetered on the brink Thursday evening with intense speculation in political circles in both Patna and New Delhi 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 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 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 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. BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY Lucknow