Supreme Court Declines Blanket Stay on Cases Involving Disputed Religious Sites, Citing Limitations of Places of Worship Act
In a recent development, the Supreme Court has stated that it cannot issue a blanket stay on various suits and legal proceedings related to disputed religious sites across the country by invoking the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act of 1991. The bench, consisting of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and Manoj Misra, emphasized that parties involved in each case must individually seek a stay from the respective court, highlighting that the Act is currently in effect and not stayed by the apex court.
During the proceedings, advocate Vrinda Grover urged the court to consider a plea for stay of proceedings, pointing out that cases are being litigated nationwide while the Act remains in force. However, the court clarified that it cannot grant a blanket stay and granted the Central government an additional three months to file its response. BJP leader Subramaniam Swamy expressed his desire for the matter to be placed for final hearing, as the Central government sought repeated adjournments. The court adjourned the matter, stating that it would assess the affidavit from the government before proceeding.
The Places of Worship Act, enacted during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, aims to safeguard the status of religious structures as they existed at the time of India's independence. It prohibits courts from entertaining disputes over the nature of such places of worship. However, the Act includes an exception for the Ram Janmabhoomi site, which was adjudicated by the Supreme Court in 2019. The court clarified that similar cases cannot be entertained under the Act, but disputes concerning the Gyanvapi mosque and Mathura-Krishna Janmabhoomi remain pending in various Uttar Pradesh courts.
TAGS: Supreme Court blanket stay cases disputed religious sites Places of Worship Act 1991 Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud Justices PS Narasimha Manoj Misra legal proceedings parties apex court stay plea Vrinda Grover Central government response adjourned BJP spokesperson Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay illegal acts invaders Hindus Jains Buddhists Sikhs Subramaniam Swamy final hearing affidavit Ram Janmabhoomi movement protect religious structures independence courts exception Ayodhya land Ayodhya dispute Ram Lalla Gyanvapi mosque Mathura-Krishna Janmabhoomi Uttar Pradesh.
