The Supreme Court has deferred the hearing of a plea by AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi seeking strict implementation of the 1991 Places of Worship Act to February 17, 2025. Filed on December 17, 2024, through advocate Fuzail Ahmad Ayyubi, Owaisi’s petition emphasises the need to preserve the religious character of places of worship as they existed on August 15, 1947.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, alongside Justices Sanjay Kumar and K.V. Viswanathan, tagged the petition with similar cases, including those filed by the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind and others. These cases are part of ongoing legal challenges to the constitutional validity of the 1991 Act, a matter now slated for a consolidated hearing.
The Supreme Court had earlier, on December 12, issued a directive barring lower courts from registering fresh suits or issuing orders concerning claims on religious sites until further notice. This decision temporarily halted approximately 18 lawsuits, including those seeking surveys of sites like the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi and Shahi Idgah Masjid in Mathura.
The Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, was enacted to prevent the alteration of the religious character of places of worship and to uphold communal harmony. While some petitioners, such as lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay, have challenged the Act, arguing it restricts judicial remedies to reclaim religious sites, Owaisi’s plea highlights the law’s critical role in curbing divisive claims and ensuring peace.
The Gyanvapi Mosque management committee has also opposed efforts to overturn the Act, warning of the potential for reigniting disputes over sites like the Shahi Idgah Masjid and the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque. Owaisi’s counsel noted that certain courts have already entertained petitions seeking surveys of mosques, undermining the Act’s intent.
