Pandora's Box: The Places of Worship Act and Its Contemporary Resonance

The Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, resurfaces in news due to recent legal disputes. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh highlights a 1991 speech by Rajmohan Gandhi emphasizing cultural unity. The Congress critiqued the BJP for violations, amidst controversies over religious sites and legal interpretations.

The Places of Worship Act, enacted in 1991, has recently re-emerged in the public eye, largely due to oral observations made in May 2022 by the then Chief Justice of India, D.Y. Chandrachud. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has linked the Act's resurgence to a talk by Rajmohan Gandhi, a Janata Dal MP at the time, during the Rajya Sabha's debate on the Bill.

Gandhi's 1991 speech, described by Ramesh as one of the Rajya Sabha's most outstanding, advocated for reconciling differences peacefully. It reverberates today, as Ramesh argues that the Act is being undermined by the Bharatiya Janata Party. His remarks were made amid disputes over historical religious sites in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The Places of Worship Act prohibits altering the character of religious places as they existed on August 15, 1947. Recent court cases, involving the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, have led to legal discussions and controversies regarding this legislation, highlighting ongoing tensions in India's socio-political landscape.

(With inputs from agencies.)