Supreme Court to Review Asaduddin Owaisi's Plea on 1991 Places of Worship Act

The Supreme Court has agreed to consider AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's plea for enforcing the 1991 places of worship law. This law aims to preserve the religious character of places as they were on August 15, 1947. The plea will be reviewed alongside pending cases on February 17.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's plea, which demands the implementation of the 1991 Places of Worship Act. This legislation mandates that the religious character of a site is maintained as it was on August 15, 1947.

A bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar scheduled the plea to be discussed on February 17 along with other existing cases. Owaisi's legal representative, Nizam Pasha, insisted on including the plea with ongoing litigations concerning the same matter.

Filed on December 17, 2024, the plea seeks to ensure the law's implementation. In contrast, a previous bench decision on December 12 has restrained courts from considering new suits or passing orders to reclaim places of worship, particularly mosques and dargahs. Amid numerous petitions against the 1991 Act, the crux remains the preservation of religious identities as per their 1947 status.

(With inputs from agencies.)