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Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, expressed strong discontent over the growing number of petitions in the case related to the Places of Worship Act, 1991, which prohibits any legal action to reclaim a place of worship or alter its religious character. During a hearing this morning, he remarked, “Enough is enough. There has to be an end to this,” stressing that the Supreme Court will not entertain any new petitions concerning the matter.
However, the Court allowed the filing of an intervention petition with new grounds, although it declined to issue notices on the newly submitted petitions.
The Court’s stern comments came amid its ongoing hearings regarding the validity of the Places of Worship Act, a law of significant importance given the ongoing legal attempts to reclaim demolished Hindu temples. Enacted in 1991, the law prevents changes to the religious character of any place of worship as it stood on August 15, 1947. Notably, the Ram Janmabhoomi dispute is excluded from its scope.
Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay filed the original petition challenging the law’s validity. Last year, the Court halted proceedings on 18 cases filed by Hindu groups seeking to reclaim 10 mosques and consolidated all related temple-mosque disputes. This includes the Shahi Idgah-Krishna Janmbhoomi, Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi mosque, and Sambhal mosque cases.
In response to the Court’s actions, several opposition parties have expressed support for the law, while Hindu groups and right-wing organizations have opposed it. The Congress, which was in power when the law was passed, and Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM, are among the latest political entities to approach the Court, urging the strict implementation of the law. Another petitioner argued in court that the law should be upheld to ensure peaceful coexistence for all.
During the hearing, Chief Justice Khanna emphasized that while new petitions had previously been allowed, there must be a limit to such interventions. He stated, “Applications for fresh interventions will be permitted if they raise new grounds that have not been previously addressed.”
Senior advocate Vikas Singh, representing the petitioners, also noted that a response from the Centre is still awaited.
The hearing has been adjourned until the first week of April.
Disclaimer: This is an AI-generated live blog and has not been edited by Localtak staff.
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