Apex court to hear pleas challenging Places of Worship Act, 1991 in July
The pleas in Supreme Court challenged the Places of Worship Act saying that the Act takes away the rights of Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs to restore their "places of worship and pilgrimages", destroyed by invaders.
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New Delhi, Apr 5: The Supreme Court on Wednesday (Apr 5) posted for hearing in July a batch of petitions challenging certain provisions of the Places of Worship (Special Provision) Act, 1991, that prohibit the filing of a lawsuit to reclaim a place of worship or seek a change in its character from what prevailed on August 15, 1947.
A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice JB Pardiwala directed that the matter shall be listed before a three-judge bench for a hearing in July. At the outset, the apex court was informed that the Centre has not replied yet to the pleas. The bench said the Central government may file its reply in the meantime. On previous occasions also the top court had granted time to the Centre to file a response.
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Earlier, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Central government, had sought more time to file an affidavit in the case as he needs to do deliberation with the highest level in the government. Dr Subramanian Swamy, former MP and BJP leader had told the bench that in his plea he was not seeking to set aside the Act but only two more temples need to be added and then the Act can remain as it is. The pleas challenged the Places of Worship Act saying that the Act takes away the rights of Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs to restore their 'places of worship and pilgrimages', destroyed by invaders.
#SupremeCourt to hear challenges to 1991 Places of Worship Act that mandates character of all religious places of worship be maintained as it was on August 15, 1947, & no suit/proceeding shall lie in courts of law wrt character of such places@Swamy39 @AshwiniUpadhyay @jsaideepak pic.twitter.com/uIFVZ3iojo
— Bar & Bench (@barandbench) April 5, 2023
Daughter of the Kashi Royal Family, Maharaja Kumari Krishna Priya; BJP leader Subramanian Swamy; Chintamani Malviya, former Member of Parliament; Anil Kabotra, a retired army officer; advocates Chandra Shekhar; Rudra Vikram Singh, resident of Varanasi; Swami Jeetendranand Saraswati, a religious leader; Devkinandan Thakur Ji, resident of Mathura and a religious guru and advocate Ashwini Upadhyay among others have filed the pleas in the apex court against the 1991 Act.
The 1991 provision is an Act to prohibit conversion of any place of worship and to provide for the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947, and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
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