The Indian Supreme Court has temporarily barred lower courts from accepting new lawsuits involving places of worship, pending further instructions. The decision was announced on Thursday as the nation’s highest court deliberates petitions contesting the Places of Worship Act, 1991.
The Act prohibits altering the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947, and aims to preserve communal harmony in a diverse country.
In its directive, a bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, alongside Justices Sanjay Kumar and K. V. Viswanathan, also instructed lower courts to avoid issuing any significant interim or final orders in ongoing cases until the Supreme Court delivers a more comprehensive judgment.
“We are assessing the scope, validity, and implications of the 1991 Act,” said the bench, as reported by the Press Trust of India. The central government has been granted four weeks to respond to the petitions.
Controversial Petitions Target Mosques
The Supreme Court’s intervention comes against the backdrop of a growing number of petitions filed by Hindu groups, many of which claim that certain mosques were constructed on sites that originally housed Hindu temples.
One such case involves a recent petition to survey a 13th-century Muslim saint’s shrine in Ajmer, Rajasthan. Similarly, a local court in Uttar Pradesh recently ordered a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal after allegations emerged that a temple once stood on the site. The order led to violent clashes in the region, resulting in five deaths and several injuries among police officers before the Supreme Court intervened to halt proceedings.
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Adding to the contentious atmosphere, a Hindu group has called for a survey of New Delhi’s iconic Jama Masjid, alleging the presence of Hindu deity statues buried beneath the mosque.
The Broader Debate
These disputes underscore the ongoing tensions surrounding historical claims to religious sites in India. By freezing new lawsuits, the Supreme Court seeks to maintain stability as it reviews the constitutional and social implications of the Places of Worship Act.
The case continues to be closely monitored, as its outcome could set a significant precedent for how India addresses its complex history of religious coexistence and conflict.
