The Supreme Court of India today banned all civil courts from accepting any new pleas challenging the 1991 Places of Worship Act till the next hearing.
Supreme Court Stays Fresh Pleas Challenging 1991 Places Of Worship Law
The matter is being heard in the backdrop of several suits filed in various courts claiming these were built after destroying ancient temples and seeking permission to allow the Hindus to offer prayers there.
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Photo: FILE
Representative Image
Photo: FILE
The Apex court directed that no fresh suits shall be registered or proceedings ordered. The court also said that no new orders should be passed in the suits that are already pending before various courts.
"We deem it fit to direct that no fresh suits shall be registered or proceedings be ordered. In the pending suits, no effective interim orders or final orders including orders of survey can be granted by civil courts till the next date of hearing,” Live Law quoted the court.
The court has granted four weeks to parties to file a rejoinder after the Centre files its reply to pleas.
The court today began hearing a series of Public Interest Litigations (PILs) challenging the validity of certain provisions of the controversial Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. The Act prohibits filing lawsuits to reclaim places of worship or seek a change in their religious character from what existed on August 15, 1947.
A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, and comprising Justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan, is hearing the case.
As of now, the top court has noted that: the 1991 law prohibits conversion of place of worship, provides for maintenance of religious character as existed on Aug 15, 1947; and that one ongoing case involving the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura is also related to this law, according to PTI report.
The bench made it clear that no effective interim or final orders would be passed, including on surveys, until the next hearing date.
The Supreme Court has, meanwhile, allowed pleas of various parties including Muslim bodies seeking to intervene in proceedings.
According to a PTI report, the SC has seized of as many as six pleas, including one filed by Ashwini Upadhyay who has prayed that Sections 2, 3 and 4 of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, be set aside. Among the various reasons submitted was the contention that these provisions take away the right of judicial remedy to reclaim a place of worship of any person or a religious group.
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