Supreme Court Set to Hear Crucial Petitions on Places of Worship Act

The Supreme Court will hear pleas concerning the Places of Worship Act, 1991. The Act maintains the religious character of worship places as of August 15, 1947. Exempting Ayodhya's Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute, Hindu and Muslim parties have filed conflicting petitions. Key issues involve the Act's Sections 3 and 4.

The Supreme Court is gearing up to address a series of petitions on February 17 related to the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. The 1991 legislation is aimed at prohibiting the conversion of religious sites and ensuring their character remains as it was on August 15, 1947. Notably, the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid issue in Ayodhya is excluded from the Act's scope.

The court will delve into the constitutional validity of some provisions of the Act, as several petitions filed by both Hindu and Muslim groups challenge its clauses. The law's key sections in question are Section 3, which bars conversion of worship places, and Section 4, which deals with the religious character declaration and limits judicial intervention.

In a significant move on December 12, the court restrained lower courts from accepting new lawsuits or passing orders on existing cases about reclaiming religious sites, particularly mosques. Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, with Justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan, is expected to navigate through these complex legal and communal issues.

(With inputs from agencies.)