Author: Vinay Krishna Rastogi
Publication: Mid-Day
Date: May 21, 2002
The disputed site in Ayodhya is
the Janmabhoomi (birthplace) of Lord Ram, and a temple was destroyed by
Mughal Emperor Babar to build a mosque at the site, archaeologist and historian
Dr Swaraj Prakash Gupta told the Allahabad High Court yesterday.
Dr Gupta said he had reached this
conclusion after a detailed study of archaeological discoveries, inscriptions
found during excavations, epigraphy and paleography.
Dr Gupta was cross-examined yesterday
by Zafaryab Jilani, counsel for the Sunni Central Waqf Board which is defendant
number four in suit number five of 1989 (Bhagwan Sri Ram Lalla Virajman
versus others).
During cross-examination, Jilani
told court that in his examination-in-chief in a case before the Additional
District Judge of Gautam Buddha Nagar, Dr Gupta had claimed to be a noted
archaeologist and historian.
His qualifications submitted in
that court ran into five pages, Jilani said and expressed his doubts about
Dr Gupta's qualifications. Dr Gupta holds three degrees: MA, PhD and DLit.
When Jilani asked the archaeologist
if he was associated with the two excavations done by Dr B B Lal, former
director of the Archaeological Survey of India, Dr Gupta admitted he was
not part of Dr Lal's team but had gone to Ayodhya three times out of curiosity.
Dr Gupta told the court that he
had written the books 'Ayodhya: History and Archaeology' and 'New Archaeological
Discoveries'. In these, he had written in detail about the excavations
and findings before and after demolition of the Babri Masjid.
Dr Gupta made it clear that he himself
had not done any excavation but had taken a keen interest in excavations
done by Dr B B Lal.
Replying to another question, Dr
Gupta denied he was well-versed with Sanskrit.
The witness will today be cross-examined
before Officer on Special Duty S I Siddiqui as the three-judge full bench
will be busy with other matters and special commissioner Narendra Prasad
too will be on leave.
vinayr@mid-day.com
