Places Of Worship Act 1991: SC Agrees To Hear Owaisi’s Petition

The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear a plea of India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi seeking the implementation of the Places of Worship Act 1991.

The law maintains the religious character of a religious place as it existed on August 15, 1947.

The top court bench of Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar tagged Owaisi’s plea with pending cases.

Advocate Nizam Pasha appeared for Owaisi requested the court to tag the current plea with the other petitions.

The Apex Court will hear the matter on February 17 along with the main matter.

Earlier in December, the SC bench led by CJI restrained lower courts across the country from entertaining fresh lawsuits or passing any orders in pending cases seeking to reclaim religious structure.

Owaisi is not the first party who approached the Supreme Court, Gyanwapi Mosque Management Committee, many opposition parties including CPI (M) also approached the top court seeking strict implementation of 1991 Act to maintain communal harmony.

Court in its earlier hearing has granted four weeks time to Centre clarifying it’s stand in this matter.

The petitioners who challenged this 1991 law claim it unconstitutional and denies the rights of Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs to restore their places of worship destroyed by historical invaders.

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