The Supreme Court on Friday refused to stay the Allahabad High Court order allowing a scientific survey at Gyanvapi to determine if the mosque was built upon a temple, notwithstanding the assertion by the Muslim side that it will “reopen wounds of the past”.

A bench led by the CJI, however, asked the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) not to take recourse to any invasive act during the survey. The bench took note of the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the ASI and the Uttar Pradesh government, stating that no excavation will be done during the survey.