UditVani, New Delhi: The Supreme Court has directed the tagging of a petition filed by AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi concerning the implementation of the Places of Worship Act, 1991, with an already pending set of related cases.
What is the Places of Worship Act, 1991?
The Places of Worship Act, 1991, seeks to preserve the character of all places of worship as they existed on August 15, 1947. It prohibits the filing of lawsuits aiming to reclaim or alter the religious nature of any place of worship from its historical status.
Bench’s Directives on Pending Cases
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna, along with Justice Sanjay Kumar, instructed that Owaisi’s plea be merged with ongoing matters concerning mosques and shrines. The Bench reiterated restrictions imposed in December 2024, barring the registration of new lawsuits or the passing of final judgments in cases governed by the 1991 Act.
Interim Order to Maintain Status Quo
In its December 12, 2024 interim ruling, the Special Bench, under CJI Khanna, mandated that no fresh lawsuits under the Act be filed nationwide. It also restrained courts from passing effective or final orders or conducting surveys in ongoing cases until further notice.
Union Government’s Response Awaited
The Bench had previously directed the Union government to respond to the batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the 1991 Act within four weeks. Meanwhile, several applications have been filed seeking the dismissal of these challenges, emphasizing the need to uphold the Act.
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