New Delhi. The Supreme Court on Monday gave time till December 12 to the central government to present its stand on a petition challenging the legality of the Worship Places (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. Under this act, a provision has been made to maintain the status of all religious places of worship in the country before August 15, 1947, except the Ram Janmabhoomi site of Ayodhya.
Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud (DY Chandrachud) and Justice J. B. Pardiwala, while accepting the plea of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, asked him to file his reply by December 12. Before the bench, Mr Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said that the matter was being discussed at the ‘highest level’. This requires additional time.
The apex court has been waiting for the Central government’s reply in the matter since March last year. Mr Mehta had told the apex court on October 12 that the 2019 verdict by a 5-member Constitution Bench in Ayodhya’s Ram Janmabhoomi dispute case does not include questions related to the validity of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.
Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay has challenged this religious place law. Appearing for them, senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi told the bench that the 1991 Act to uphold the status quo of religious places was passed in Parliament after insufficient discussion. It involves issues relating to important questions of national importance in the case and must be decided by the court.
Opposing Shri Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay’s plea, Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind and All India Muslim Personal Law Board once again argued that their stand on the petitions would depend on the reply filed by the Central Government. The top court said that it will next hear the matter in the first week of January next year. (talk,
