Scrutiny of the Places of Worship Act: Supreme Court Set to Hear Critical Plea

The Supreme Court is reviewing a plea challenging the validity of the 1991 Places of Worship Act, which preserves historical religious character of worship sites as they existed on August 15, 1947. The plea argues that the Act oversteps legislative power by denying judicial remedy to ascertain original religious identities of certain sites.

The Supreme Court is poised to examine a pivotal plea against the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, this Tuesday. The act mandates that the religious character of places of worship be maintained as it was on August 15, 1947, raising constitutional questions around legislative and judicial powers.

The plea, presented by law student Nitin Upadhyay, challenges Section 4(2) of the Act, which prohibits altering the religious nature of any site. Exempting the Ayodhya dispute, the Act has faced criticism for barring new legal actions that seek to reassess the religious identity of worship sites.

In a significant development, the Supreme Court previously expressed concern over multiple challenges to the Act, directing a three-judge bench to consider the pending petitions in April. The plea underscores the right to judicial remedy as integral to the Constitution, asserting that denying this right transgresses legislative limits.

(With inputs from agencies.)