'Enough is enough': SC on surge of pleas over Places of Worship Act

Supreme Court is hearing a batch of petitions challenging the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, defers hearing to first week of April

The Supreme Court on Monday deferred the hearing on a batch of petitions challenging the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, to the first week of April, with Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna expressing displeasure over the surge of fresh pleas in the case.

 

“There is a limit to which petitions can be filed. Enough is enough. There has to be an end to this,” CJI Khanna remarked, making it clear that the top court would not entertain any new petitions on the matter. The case will now be heard by a three-judge bench.

 

What is the Places of Worship Act?

The 1991 law prohibits the conversion of religious places and mandates their character be maintained as it was on August 15, 1947, with the Ayodhya dispute being the only exception. This means that religious groups cannot take legal action to reclaim religious sites that were allegedly changed or converted from their original religious identity before that date.

 

 

SC hearing on Places of Worship Act

Several Hindu groups have challenged the law, arguing that it bars judicial remedies for reclaiming religious sites allegedly converted in the past.

 

The Supreme Court had earlier put on hold around 18 lawsuits seeking surveys of 10 mosques, including the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi, Shahi Idgah Masjid in Mathura, and Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal.

 

Following this, fresh petitions were filed by various groups, including political leaders Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM), Congress, and Samajwadi Party MP Iqra Choudhary, advocating for the law’s strict enforcement to curb legal actions targeting mosques and dargahs.

 

Meanwhile, the Akhil Bhartiya Sant Samiti, a Hindu group, has sought to intervene in petitions challenging the Act, contending that the law unfairly restricts legal claims on disputed sites.

 

Supreme Court’s observations

During Monday’s hearing, CJI Khanna refused to allow new petitions unless they raised fresh legal grounds. Senior advocate Vikas Singh, representing the petitioners, highlighted that a response from the Centre on the matter was still pending.

 

The Gyanvapi Mosque management committee has opposed the petitions, warning that their acceptance could lead to lawsuits against other mosques, such as Delhi’s Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque and Madhya Pradesh’s Kamal Maula Mosque, which the 1991 law currently protects.