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ASI begins survey 
Waqf board objects to excavation
Our Correspondent & Agencies

Ayodhya, March 10
A 16-member team of the Archaeological Survey of India today began a survey for excavation of the disputed site in Ayodhya following the directive of the Allahabad High Court. Prior to arrival at the site, the team also held a meeting.

Sources said the labourers deployed for the digging had also been called to the site in the morning where they were issued identity cards by ASI officials. The ASI team also includes two members who had supervised the work at the disputed site conducted by a Canada-based company in January this year.

Though the members of the team refused to talk to the media, team leader Dr B.R. Mani said he had informed the court about the team’s arrival and starting of the work at the disputed site.

Sources said before starting the digging the team would inspect the site for at least a couple of days and was likely to begin the excavation on March 12.

The team would look into all the aspects and material required for digging at the site.

LUCKNOW: The Sunni Central Waqf Board, on Monday, objected to the ASI team starting the excavation work at the disputed site in Ayodhya without intimating the Officer on Special Duty and Commissioner, hearing the Ram Janmabhoomi title suits on a day-to-day basis, and said the board should be given an opportunity to watch the excavation works.

In a petition filed before the OSD and Commissioner, Mr Narendra Prasad, the board sought a direction to the ASI excavation team not to start any work at Ayodhya without giving it an opportunity to watch the proceedings.

In another petition, it prayed for a direction that the excavation work should not begin at the site till 10 AM on March 12.

The board alleged that the ASI was “biased”.

Babri case: SC censures counsel

New Delhi, March 10
Finding it worded in intemperate language, the Supreme Court today declined to hear in its present form a petition seeking review of its earlier order approving the trial by a Rae Bareli court of Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, Central Minister M.M. Joshi and former minister Uma Bharti and five other senior Sangh Parivar leaders in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

“You better moderate your language,” Mr Justice S Rajendra Babu told senior counsel O.P. Sharma appearing for petitioner Mohammad Aslam Bhure.

The Bench which included Mr Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Mr Justice Arun Kumar told the counsel that “wherever you had made allegations against the impugned order use decent language”. “We cannot hear this petition in its present form,’’ the Bench observed.

A special court in Lucknow had been trying the case until the Allahabad High Court ruled in February 2001 that the order under which the special court had been set up was defective in respect of the eight accused. It had, however, said the Uttar Pradesh Government could rectify the defect.

The Lucknow court was still trying other cases related to the demolition.

The Bench while hearing the review on February 12 had directed its hearing in the open court. That was how the petition came up for hearing and the court was expected to issue notice.

Apart from Mr Advani, Dr Joshi and Ms Bharti, Sangh Parivar leaders namely Mr Ashok Singhal, Mr Giriraj Kishore, Mr Vishnu Hari Dalmiya, Sadhvi Ritambhara and Mr Vinay Katiyar are the other accused.

In the review petition, Mr Bhure had contended that the Rae Bareli would have to start the trial of the eight accused afresh.

The petitioner also approached the apex court against the Centre’s application seeking withdrawal of its March 13, 2000, order banning all religious activities on both the disputed and undisputed land near the site at Ayodhya. UNI