NEW DELHI, Jan 2: On Thursday, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a petition from AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi regarding the enforcement of the 1991 Places of Worship Act, which mandates preserving the religious character of a site as it was on August 15, 1947.
Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar directed that Owaisi’s new application be connected with the existing cases on this issue and scheduled a hearing for February 17.
Owaisi, represented by attorney Nizam Pasha, pointed out that the court is already reviewing several petitions on this subject, and it makes sense for the new plea to be included with them.
“We will tag this,” the Chief Justice confirmed.
The plea was submitted by Owaisi on December 17, 2024, through lawyer Fuzail Ahmad Ayyubi.
Previously, on December 12, the Chief Justice’s bench, while addressing a series of similar petitions against the 1991 law, barred all courts from accepting new lawsuits and from issuing any interim or final orders concerning ongoing cases aimed at reclaiming religious sites, especially mosques and dargahs.
This special bench considered six petitions, including a primary one from lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay, challenging various aspects of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.
The 1991 legislation prohibits the alteration of any worship site and mandates the preservation of its religious character as it was on August 15, 1947.
Owaisi, in his petition, is urging the central government to ensure the law is effectively implemented, as noted by his counsel.
Furthermore, he cited cases where several courts ordered surveys of mosques following requests from Hindu litigants. (PTI)
