Varanasi, Jan 28 (IANS): Akhil Bhartiya Sant Samiti general secretary Swami Jitendranand Saraswati has pledged not to eat foodgrain until the Gyanvapi in Varanasi is "liberated". He will drink only milk and eat fruits till then.

The Sant Samiti is an organisation that works for the cause of seers and Mutts and temples.

Saraswati said, "The ASI's survey report has made it clear that Gyanvapi was a temple. After this confirmation, I have personally taken a pledge that I will not eat food grain until Gyanvapi in Kashi is liberated."

A report by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) reportedly found that a large Hindu temple existed before the construction of the Gyanvapi Masjid in Varanasi, lawyers for the Hindu petitioners in the decades-old case had announced on Thursday.

Saraswati said: "It is not that I am the first person to take this pledge. Seers have been performing this penance for thousands of years. In such a situation, my personal vow is that I will not eat food until Kashi Gyanvapi becomes free and it takes the shape of a grand temple."

He said: "My pledge also does not mean that I will not eat anything. I am a Dandi Sanyasi. Therefore, during my fast, I will drink milk and eat fruits."