Supreme Court Faces Crucial Test on Places of Worship Act, 1991

The Supreme Court is set to evaluate the constitutional legitimacy of two provisions in the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. The Act, implemented by the PV Narasimha Rao government, aims to maintain the status of religious sites as of August 15, 1947. The Court has restricted lower courts from processing related legal cases.

The Supreme Court is poised to examine the constitutional validity of key provisions in the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. This law, instituted by the PV Narasimha Rao administration, seeks to preserve the status of all religious sites as they stood on August 15, 1947.

In a significant move, the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan, has barred all courts across the nation from passing any consequential orders on lawsuits that demand actions like surveying religious places under the 1991 law.

Numerous petitions in the Supreme Court question the validity of Sections 3 and 4 of the Act. Section 2 states that no religious denomination's places of worship can be converted into another's. Section 4 prohibits court jurisdiction over changes to the religious character of sites existing on August 15, 1947.

(With inputs from agencies.)