New Delhi, 14 November: The Central Government sought more time from the Supreme Court to respond to the petitions filed against the Places of Worship Act.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, on behalf of the Central Government, said that discussions are going on at a higher-level in the government. The court gave time till December 12, to the government to file its reply, while the next hearing will be in the first week of January.
The Supreme Court had directed the Central Government to file its reply by October 31, on the petitions filed against the Places of Worship Act. The court had issued a notice to the central government on September 9. The court had also issued notice on the petition filed by Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind in support of the law.
Kumari Krishna Priya, daughter of Kashi Naresh Vibhuti Narayan Singh, filed a new petition challenging the Places of Worship Act on September 8. The petition states that the erstwhile ruler of the princely state of Kashi was the chief custodian of all the temples in Kashi, hence he has the right to challenge the Act on behalf of the Kashi royal family.
A petition has been filed by advocate Karunesh Kumar Shukla. Shukla has also been a priest in the Hanumangarhi temple in Ayodhya. Karunesh Shukla is the main petitioner in the Krishna Janmabhoomi case and has also played a key role in the Ram Janmabhoomi case.
A petition has been filed by retired Colonel Anil Kabotra, who fought the war with Pakistan in 1971. The petition states that this law gives legal status to the illegal occupation of worship, pilgrimage places by foreign invaders. It states that the act prevents Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists from worshiping at their religious places.
Prior to this, Mathura’s religious leader Devkinandan Thakur has also filed a petition challenging the Places of Worship Act 1991. Advocate Rudra Vikram Singh also filed a petition saying that the illegal construction was legitimised by fixing the arbitrary cutoff date of August 15, 1947.
Swami Jitendranand of Varanasi has challenged this Act stating that the government should not have attachment or hatred towards any community, but has made a law to stop Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs from demanding their rights.
BJP leader and lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay has also filed a petition stating that the Act, except Ayodhya, there is a provision to maintain the nature of other religious places in the country as it was on August 15, 1947.
Vishwa Bhadra Pujari Mahasangh, an organisation of Hindu priests, has also challenged this law in the Supreme Court. Opposing the petition of Vishwa Bhadra Pujari Mahasangh, Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind has also filed a petition in the Supreme Court. A petition has also been filed by Subramanian Swamy.
