The Rajya Sabha on Monday saw members raising issues pertaining to road safety and accidents, demolition of place of worship and a demand for abolition of the Places of Worship Act, 1991.

Harnath Singh Yadav (BJP) demanded the immediate abolition of the Places of Worship Act, 1991, alleging the law impinges on the religious rights of Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists provided under the Constitution.

During the Zero Hour mention in Rajya Sabha, he also claimed the law is harming communal harmony in the country.  “Places of Worship Act is completely illogical and unconstitutional. It takes away the religious rights of Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains under the Constitution.

“It is also damaging communal harmony in the country. Therefore, I urge the government to immediately repeal this law in the interest of the nation,” the senior BJP leader said.

The legislation prohibits conversion of any place of worship and to provide for the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947.

This law, Yadav contended, violates the principles of equality and secularism provided in the Constitution. He also pointed out that the law prohibits judicial review.

Raising the matter of road safety during the Zero Hour, Fauzia Khan (NCP) said installation of dash cams in vehicles should be made mandatory to address concerns related to accidents and promote responsible driving practices.

The NCP member said there have been instances of protests against the strict provisions regarding hit-and-run cases in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which replaces the colonial-era Indian Penal Code (IPC).

“One key aspect that deserves attention in the wake of these stringent measures is the promotion of dash cams. Dash cams have emerged as a valuable tool that can provide concrete evidence in the event of a road accident,” she said.

Khan said most countries in the world have adopted dash cams on a large scale. Making the use of dash cams mandatory for manufacturers aligns with the objective of collecting reliable evidence, ensuring transparency, and facilitating a fair legal process.

The NCP MP said today seat belts, seat belt beeps, and so on have been made mandatory for manufacturers.

Imran Pratapgarhi (Congress) voiced concerns over “unconstitutional actions” take by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) by removing old structures in Delhi. The DDA, he said, was illegally removing historical buildings and structures, including a mosque.

In his Zero Hour mention, V Vijayasai Reddy (YSRCP) made a demand for withdrawal of the draft de-reservation policy proposed by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

Citing data on professors and assistant professors in central universities, Reddy expressed surprise that the UGC has recently issued draft guidelines on de-reserving the vacancies meant for SCs, STs and OBCs.

“This is this is very much unconstitutional and unwarranted,” he said.