Supreme Court To Hear Petitions Challenging Places Of Worship Act Provisions On Dec 12

The Supreme Court will hear on December 12 a series of petitions challenging certain provisions of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.

The Act, which aims to preserve the religious character of places of worship as they were on August 15, 1947, prohibits the filing of lawsuits to reclaim such places or alter their religious character.

A special bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, alongside Justices PV Sanjay Kumar and KV Vishwanathan, is scheduled to hear the matter at 3:30 PM.

The Places of Worship Act, enacted in 1991, specifically prohibits any attempt to convert a place of worship and mandates the maintenance of its religious character as it existed on Independence Day. This law was designed to prevent contentious disputes over religious sites and preserve their status as it was during the time of India’s independence.

In the lead-up to the hearing, Asaduddin Owaisi, the leader of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), launched a scathing critique of the BJP-led government. He accused the ruling party of fueling unnecessary religious conflicts by stirring debates over the historical status of religious sites. Owaisi suggested that behind the rise of various right-wing organizations such as “Vahinis,” “Parishads,” and “Senas,” there is an “invisible hand” from the ruling government.

Owaisi took to social media, stating, “The people of India are being pushed into unnecessary historical disputes. A nation cannot achieve superpower status if 14 percent of its population faces such constant pressure. Behind every ‘Vahini,’ ‘Parishad,’ ‘Sena,’ and so on, lies the invisible hand of the ruling party. They must defend the Places of Worship Act and end these baseless conflicts.”

The upcoming Supreme Court hearing is expected to address the constitutional validity of the Act and could have significant implications for the way India handles issues of religious identity and historical disputes in the future.

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