Supreme Court to Tackle Petitions Against 1991 Worship Act

The Supreme Court will hear petitions regarding the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, in April. The Act mandates that religious sites maintain their status as of August 15, 1947, with the Ayodhya dispute exempt. Fresh petitions must present new legal grounds to intervene.

The Supreme Court expressed discontent over numerous petitions concerning the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. A three-judge bench is scheduled for April to deliberate on these pending petitions, which challenge the religious character preserved under the law as it existed on August 15, 1947.

Petitioners like Samajwadi Party's Iqra Choudhary are granted permission to file intervention applications, contingent upon presenting new legal grounds. Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna emphasized the challenge of addressing fresh petitions, underscoring that only applications revealing new issues will be entertained.

The bench, refraining requests for day hearings, will not handle scheduled petitions as it comprises only two judges. The law, prohibiting religious conversions at sites, excludes the Ayodhya matter and has incited mixed reactions from varied religious and political bodies.