The Vishva Hindu Parishad working president has sought that the "original site of Kashi Vishvanatha be handed over to the Hindu Society". The plea comes in light of a survey report suggesting that Gyanvapi Mosque was built after demolishing a temple site.
The VHP has demanded that the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi be declared a Hindu temple and handed over to the Hindu community. The ASI survey report confirms that the mosque was built after demolishing a "magnificent temple" at the site. VHP working president Alok Kumar claims that the evidence collected and conclusions provided by the ASI prove that the religious character of the place of worship existed on August 15, 1947, and is now of a Hindu Temple.
The ASI released a comprehensive survey report stating that an ancient Hindu temple existed at the Gyanvapi mosque site before the present structure was built upon its ruins.
The ASI report on the Gyanvapi mosque complex revealed that a pre-existing structure appeared to have been destroyed in the 17th century, and "part of it was modified and reused," adding that based on scientific studies, it can be said that there "existed a large Hindu temple prior to the construction of the existing structure."