oppn parties The Places Of Worship Act Must Be Followed In Letter And Spirit

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  • The Reserve Bank of India is considering further monetary tightening to counter capital outflows and increase the cost of betting against the rupee, according to bankers and analysts cited by Reuters. The measures follow recent rate increases and steps to drain liquidity as pressure on the currency and inflation concerns persist
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  • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India's trade imbalance with China was growing sharply and attributed the problem partly to restrictions on Indian goods and services entering the Chinese market. China subsequently said it was ready to work with India to address mutual economic and trade concerns; India's trade deficit with China reached $69 billion in the first half of FY2026–27, up 27% year-on-year
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  • The Supreme Court ruled that a person converting from Hinduism to Islam cannot automatically claim backward-class reservation benefits in the new religious community solely on the basis of their previous caste status. The judgment upheld the Madras High Court's decision striking down a 2024 Tamil Nadu government order that permitted such certification for specified communities
  • The Election Commission of India ordered a Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in 14 states and three Union Territories, using January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date for voter eligibility. The draft rolls are scheduled for publication on November 12, claims and objections will be accepted until December 11, and the final rolls are due on January 4, 2027
Delhi HC refuses to ban CJP's Tiranga rally at Central Park in Connaught Place today /////// Police says will control and regulate it /////// NDMC closes the park for the public on Friday and Saturday
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The Places Of Worship Act Must Be Followed In Letter And Spirit

By Our Editorial Team
First publised on 2022-05-18 09:45:44

About the Author

Sunil Garodia The India Commentary view

When India gained independence in 1947, it decided to be a nation where people of different faiths could reside as citizens. It expressly rejected the theory of the state identifying itself with any particular religion. Although the word secular (separating the state from religion) was added to the Preamble of the Indian Constitution only in 1976 by the 42nd Amendment, India had always been a nation where all faiths existed and the state did not differentiate between citizens along religious lines. This also put an unwritten obligation on the state to protect all citizens and their religious places irrespective of their religion. When the Babri Masjid-Ram Janabhoomi dispute was brewing, the then government enacted the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act in 1991 which, although it expressly kept the said dispute out of its ambit, created a special law to protect the character of places of worship as they existed on the date India gained independence in a bid to preserve history and prevent future conflicts. The BJP had opposed the legislation in Parliament.

With the BJP now in power with an absolute majority, it is presiding over a situation where assorted groups are being allowed to target mosques and other structures in a bid to change their character in complete disregard to the Places of Worship Act. This is wrong. As the ruling party, it should ensure that the law is strictly followed. There is no doubt that India was repeatedly invaded by Muslim invaders who looted temples, razed them and build mosques in their place and converted huge number of Hindus at sword-point. But that was then when there were no laws and the invaders showed no mercy. Modern India is a country which follows rule of law and due process. The reconversion of these mosques into temples will violate the provisions of the Places of Worship Act and will also have the effect of erasing history and trampling upon the rights of Muslims who are as much Indian citizens as Hindus.

The Supreme Court is now hearing the Gyanvapi matter where the discovery of the 'shivling' has led to filing of many pleas that, if allowed, will have the combined effect of totally changing the character of the place of worship. It must uphold the provisions of the Places of Worship Act and foil such attempts in the Gyanvapi and other many more matters from all over India that are likely to come before it. As a start, the court has done well to order the district administration in Varanasi to ensure that while the disputed area where the shivling was found is sealed and protected, the Muslim faithful are not prevented from offering namaz at the mosque. The court must not allow violation of the Act. 

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