Worship Act: Owaisi, Iqra, and Congress filed a petition, why did the Supreme Court say - there is a limit

The Supreme Court on Monday expressed strong displeasure over the filing of a new petition regarding the validity of the Places of Worship Act, 1991. A bench of Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar indicated that it would not hear the pending scheduled petitions today, as a bench of two judges would sit today. A bench of three judges has already heard these petitions. The court adjourned the hearing till the first week of April.

There is a limit on filing a petition.

When senior advocate Indira Jaisingh mentioned a new petition, the Chief Justice said that we may not be able to consider it. The CJI said that there is a limit on filing petitions. So many IA (interim applications) have been filed. We may not be able to hear it.

On December 12 last year, the apex court had stayed the proceedings on 18 petitions of Hindu parties. These petitions demanded a survey of 10 mosques including Gyanvapi, Shahi Idgah Mosque in Mathura, and Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal. After this, the court listed all the petitions for hearing on February 17.

Owaisi, Iqra Hasan, and Congress filed petitions.

After December 12, Asaduddin Owaisi, SP MP Iqra Hasan, and Congress also filed petitions. In this, there was a demand to effectively implement the Places of Worship Act-1991 across the country. The court has already agreed to hear Owaisi's petition. On February 14, Iqra Hasan demanded to curb the increasing trend of legal action by targeting mosques and dargahs. He says that this threatens communal harmony and the secular fabric of the country.

Hindu organizations also filed petitions.

All India Sant Samiti has also filed a petition. At the same time, the bench is currently hearing six petitions. One of these petitions is from lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay. Upadhyay has challenged various provisions of the Places of Worship Act 1991 in his petition. They have demanded to separate sections 2, 3, and 4 of the Act.

What is the Places of Worship Act- 1991?

The Places of Worship Act- 1991 prevents any change in the form of religious places. According to the law, the religious place will remain in the same form as it was on 15 August 1947. No changes can be made to it. However, the Ram Janmabhoomi case was kept out of this.