New Delhi: The Supreme Court Thursday delivered a landmark interim order with significant implications, halting any further orders related to surveys of religious places. The ruling comes from a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Sanjeev Khanna, alongside Justices Sanjay Kumar and K.V. Vishwanathan (set to become Chief Justice in 2030).
The interim order effectively freezes ongoing cases involving the Places of Worship Act, which has been under challenge for some time.
The Places of Worship Act, 1991 froze the status of religious sites as they stood on 15 August, 1947, except for the Ayodhya dispute. It was designed to preserve the secular nature of the Indian State, preventing the alteration of the religious character of any place of worship. However, recent cases have reignited the debate, particularly after the Allahabad High Court and the Supreme Court allowed surveys in places, like the Gyanvapi Mosque and the Shahi Idgah in Mathura, triggering tensions and violence in some regions.
The Supreme Court’s interim order stops all proceedings related to the Act, including the admission of new suits. This effectively pauses the legal momentum of these cases, including several that could have potentially sparked further unrest, such as in Sambhal, where riots led to fatalities. The court also directed the central government to file an affidavit in two weeks, expediting the resolution of the Constitutional challenge to the Act.
The court’s decision comes after oral remarks by former CJI D.Y. Chandrachud, which led to the rise of numerous lawsuits. The ruling aims to preserve the status quo while the challenge to the Places of Worship Act is decided, maintaining the secular principles enshrined in the Indian Constitution.
In Episode 1571 of #CutTheClutter, ThePrint Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta discusses what the CJI-led bench’s order says, and its implications for Gyanvapi, Sambhal and Ajmer Sharif cases.
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