SC to examine pleas on Places of Worship Act

The Supreme Court of India will hear a series of petitions on 12 December challenging the constitutional validity of key provisions in the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.

This Act prohibits altering the character of places of worship as they stood on 15 August 1947 and bars legal claims to reclaim such sites. The case will be heard at 3:30 pm by a special bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justices P.V. Sanjay Kumar and K.V. Vishwanathan.

The petitioners, including BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, Maharaja Kumari Krishna Priya (a member of the Kashi royal family), former MP Chintamani Malviya, retired army officer Anil Kabotra, religious leaders Swami Jeetendranand Saraswati and Devkinandan Thakur Ji, and advocate Ashwini Upadhyay, argue that the Act infringes on the rights of Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs.

They contend that the law prevents these communities from reclaiming places of worship and pilgrimage destroyed by invaders and violates their fundamental rights under Articles 25 and 26 of the Indian Constitution. These articles guarantee the freedom to practise, profess, and propagate religion and the right to manage religious affairs.