The ASI report on Ram Temple that has become centric to the Ayodhya case

New Delhi, Sep 28: The 2003 report was Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was the centrepiece of the arguments in the Supreme Court, which is hearing the Ayodhya case.

While the Muslim parties attacked the report, the Supreme Court said that it is not an ordinary opinion. The archaeologists were acting at the behest of the Allahabad High Court and the inferences were drawn by cultivated minds, the court said.

In 2002, the HC had asked the AI to excavate the site and give its findings on whether a disputed building was constructed on the site of an alleged Hindu temple after destroying it.

The ASI which analysed the artefacts, idols, pillars and other remains said that there existed a massive structure beneath the alleged Babri Masjid. The CJI sought to put the issue to rest by saying that the inferences from the report were drawn by cultivated minds. This observation came after the Muslim parties sought to discredit the report by terming it as mere opinion and hence could not be binding on the court.

The CJI told the Muslims parties that they could not equate the court commissioner's report to any ordinary opinion. The ASI conducted the excavation after the commissioner asked them to do so. The experts excavated and analysed the excavated material on the direction of the commissioner who was delegated the power by the Allahabad High Court.