The Supreme Court will hear Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's plea regarding the implementation of the Places of Worship Act in February, along with similar pleas filed by Muslim bodies.
Taking up the plea for hearing on Thursday, a bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna tagged the matter along with similar petitions filed by Jamiat Ulema i Hind. The matter is likely to be taken up for hearing on February 17.
The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) party chief has sought implementation of the Places of Worship Act, 1991 amid matters being heard across the country seeking a survey of centuries-old mosques to ascertain their religious character. In his plea, Owaisi sought implementation of the Act, which asks to maintain the religious character of a place as it existed on August 15, 1947.
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- Places of Worship Act: SC restricts courts from ordering surveys, registering fresh pleas
In December, hearing pleas regarding the implementation of the Places of Worship Act, a bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna restricted courts across the country from registering fresh pleas in connection with the Act. The bench also restricted courts from passing interim orders, including for surveys on matters under trial until the apex court completed the hearing on the issue. "As the matter is subjudice in this court, we deem it appropriate that no fresh suit would be registered and proceedings are undertaken till further orders of this court," the bench had said.
The top court’s move has stalled the proceedings in about 18 lawsuits filed by various Hindu parties seeking surveys to ascertain the original religious character of 10 mosques, including Gyanvapi at Varanasi, Shahi Idgah Masjid at Mathura besides Shahi Jama Masjid at Sambhal, PTI reported.
The Hindu side contends that provisions under the Act are unconstitutional and it took away the right of judicial remedy to reclaim a place of worship of any person or a religious group. The Muslim side has sought strict implementation of the 1991 law and said the effect of dilution of the Act will be “drastic”.
