Supreme Court to hear pleas challenging validity of 1991 Law on religious places on January 9

The Supreme Court (SC) will likely hear a couple of PILs that has challenged the viability of certain provisions of a 1991 law that restrict the filing of a lawsuit to reclaim a place of worship or seek a change in its character. 

As per reports, a bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha has as many as six petitions which also included those filed by Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy.

On November 14 last year, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, had mentioned that a comprehensive affidavit will be filed by the Union government dealing with various facets of the case and sought some more time to file the affidavit after consultation at various levels of the government.

''On the request so made, we direct that the counter affidavit be filed on or before 12 December 2022. A copy of the counter affidavit shall be circulated to the counsel for the petitioners and intervenors in all the companion matters. List the petitions on January 9, 2023,'' the bench had ordered on the last date of hearing.

The development came after the apex court was hearing the pleas including the one filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay who has advocated that section 2,3,4 of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 be set aside on grounds including that these provisions take away the right of judicial remedy to reclaim a place of worship of any person or a religious group.

The Places of Worship Act 1991 says that the status of places of worship as it was on August 15, 1947, will remain the same. However, Ayodhya's Ram Janmabhoomi has been kept away from the purview of this law. 

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