The Supreme Court is all set to hear a crucial batch of petitions challenging the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, on December 12. This Act maintains the status of religious sites as they stood on India’s Independence Day and bars legal attempts to alter it. A special bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and comprising Justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan will hear the case. It comes amid rising disputes over the ‘true nature’ of prominent religious sites like the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi and the Shahi Idgah mosque in Mathura. The petitioners argue the Act infringes fundamental rights under Articles 14 (Right to equality) and 25 (Freedom of religion) of the Constitution. The court’s decision is pivotal and will shape the course for multiple similar challenges pertaining to the places of worship.
