Friday prayers are held at Gyanvapi under a security cover

VARANASI: A day after it became public that ASI’s 839-page scientific survey report mentioned the presence of a Hindu temple at the site before the mosque came up in the 17th century, an armed security detachment watched over Gyanvapi mosque as a Friday congregation prayed inside.
Anjuman Intizamia Masajid (AIM), the mosque’s caretaker, urged the public to exercise patience and calmness hours before the prayer session, stating that the ASI report shouldn’t be seen as “a judgment”.

The media had gathered outside the mosque and some of the media members were reportedly heckled before police and community leaders stepped in.
Ashok Mutha Jain, Commissioner of Police, said that the Jum’ah prayers went off without a hitch. Some of those with AIM joint secretary SM Yaseen yelled anti-media chants as some TV reporters approached him, according to reports. Some of them apparently tried to take news station microphones and cameras. Yaseen said that before obtaining legal and other counsel to contest the results, AIM would need time to review the contents of ASI’s report.