Supreme Court’s decision: Ban on temple-mosque cases

The Supreme Court has made it clear that it will not accept any new case related to temple-mosque till the time the Places of Worship Act is heard. The bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjeev Khanna has directed the Central Government to respond within four weeks. The court said that until the government’s response comes, hearing in this case is not possible. Along with this, the court has also ensured that new petitions will not be accepted.

In this case, political parties like CPIM, Indian Union Muslim League, NCP Sharad Pawar faction MLA Jitendra Awhad, RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha, and others have filed intervention petitions in support of the Places of Worship Act. At the same time, members of some panels, such as the Gyanvapi Masjid Management Committee and the Shahi Idgah Masjid Management Committee of Mathura, have also come forward in this matter. Earlier on September 9, 2022, the Supreme Court had issued a notice to the central government.

The petitions challenging the Places of Worship Act say that the law allows illegal occupation of historical temples and religious sites for worship. The petitioners argue that the Act is depriving Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and Buddhist communities of their rights, and its sections 2, 3 and 4 violate several articles of the Constitution, adversely affecting secularism.