The CPI(M) polit bureau on Saturday termed the Supreme Court’s re-examination of Places of Worship Act, 1991 as “unfortunate” and urged the Government not to support the petition. The Left party was responding to the petition filed by BJP leader Ashwani Upadhyay and the apex court seeking Centre’s response.
“It is unfortunate that the Supreme Court has opened the way for a re-examination of the Places of Worship (Special Provision) Act, 1991. The Act mandates that the character of all religious places of worship should be maintained as it was on August 15, 1947, and no suit or proceedings shall lie in a court of law with respect to the character of places of worship. This effectively barred courts from entertaining cases which raise disputes over places of worship that existed as of August 15, 1947. The law further provided that such cases already pending in courts would stand abated,” said CPI(M) in a statement.
“The Act, however, granted an exception for the Babri Masjid/Ramjanmabhoomi site at Ayodhya, which was then under dispute. While invoking this exemption, the Supreme Court in the 2019 Ayodhya verdict reaffirmed that similar such cases cannot be entertained with respect to other sites in view of this Act.
The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) reaffirms that the grounds on which this law was enacted need not be re-examined. The Central Government must respond to the Supreme Court seeking its views in a firm affirmation of the Places of Worship Act, 1991,” said CPI(M).