The Supreme Court is set to hear multiple pleas on Tuesday regarding the constitutionality of specific provisions of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. The Act mandates maintaining the religious character of places of worship as they existed on August 15, 1947. While several petitioners challenge its provisions, the Muslim side has also filed applications seeking its complete implementation. A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar will preside over the matter. Notably, the court has earlier prohibited the registration of new cases or interim orders concerning the Act, except for the Ayodhya Ram Mandir dispute, which was exempted from its purview.
The Act’s enforcement has resulted in halting proceedings in 18 lawsuits across the country that sought to determine the religious character of places of worship, including the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi, the Shahi Idgah Mosque in Mathura, and the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal. In February, the court expressed dissatisfaction with the continuous influx of intervention pleas and questioned the necessity of filing so many applications. The petitions were filed by a diverse group of individuals, including BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, retired army officer Anil Kabotra, religious leaders like Swami Jeetendranand Saraswati, and Maharaja Kumari Krishna Priya, the daughter of the Kashi royal family.
The Muslim side opposes the petitions, arguing that accepting the demands of the Hindu petitioners would lead to severe consequences. They have called for a dismissal of the pleas, maintaining that the Act serves a critical role in preserving communal harmony by preventing the conversion of religious sites. The Supreme Court’s ruling on these matters is expected to have significant legal and social implications.
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