Former ASI chief KK Muhammad says Muslims should give up Gyanvapi claim, urges Hindus to avoid new demands

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Former Regional Director of the Archaeological Survey of India, K.K. Muhammed, has appealed for restraint in the temple-mosque controversy. He says the current discussion should be limited to three sites—Ram Janmabhoomi, Mathura, and Gyanvapi.

'Muslims should give up their claim on the Gyanvapi Mosque, Hindus should not come up with any new demands', said former ASI chief KK Muhammad: Muhammad suggested that the Muslim community should voluntarily hand over these three places to the Hindu side, while he asked Hindus not to raise any new claims as such steps could complicate the problems further. His comments come at a time when several petitions regarding religious places are pending in courts across the country. Apart from Ram Janmabhoomi, Mathura and Gyanvapi are also very important for the Hindu society, just like Mecca and Medina are important for Muslims.

Speaking on the Ayodhya case, K.K. Muhammad cited his participation in the excavation of the Babri Masjid site led by Professor B.B. Lal in 1976. He alleged that the influence of a communist historian unnecessarily escalated the controversy and led the Muslim community to deny the evidence of a temple beneath the mosque.

According to Muhammad, in the initial stages of the controversy, most Muslims favored a resolution by allowing the construction of a temple at the site. He also emphasized that the relevant historians had never been present at the excavation site, yet they had spread misinformation, which influenced public opinion. He added that Professor B.B. Lal had clearly refuted these misleading claims.

Taking a broader view of the temple-mosque dispute, Muhammad said extreme caution is needed. He reiterated that Mathura, Gyanvapi, and Ram Janmabhoomi hold special significance for the Hindu community and that Muslims should voluntarily relinquish them. Commenting on other religious disputes, he said that no additional claims should be made by the Hindu side beyond these three sites, as this could further escalate tensions.

He described the claims being made by some groups regarding the Taj Mahal as completely baseless. He explained that the building was originally the palace of Raja Man Singh, later passed to Jai Singh, and then to Shah Jahan. Documents related to this are preserved in museums in Bikaner and Jaipur. According to him, such claims are part of an attempt by extremist groups to claim "everything as their own."