New cases cannot be filed regarding temples and mosques: Supreme Court of India

The Supreme Court of India has ordered a stay on the survey of all temples, mosques and churches in India. No new cases can be filed regarding temples or mosques now. The top court said that the cases related to these will be disposed of first, and then new cases will be accepted in the court.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court prohibited the lower courts from giving any significant orders in these cases right now.

This order was given in the hearing of the Places of Worship Act case. A report has also been sought from the central government.

Several cases were filed in the Supreme Court seeking to change the Places of Worship Act of 1991. None of them have been heard for three and a half years. Thursday was the day for the hearing of this case. The Places of Worship Act case was heard by a bench of Supreme Court Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice PV Sanjay Kumar and Justice KV Vishwanathan.

The court said that at the moment, all the cases and surveys going on regarding temples, mosques or other places of worship in the country will be suspended for the time being. The lower courts, even the high courts, have been barred from giving any significant orders in this regard for the time being. The lower courts will not hear any new cases in this regard. This stay will remain in force until the Supreme Court disposes of the Places of Worship Act case.

According to the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act of 1991, the character of any temple, mosque or church cannot be changed. It must be kept as it was at the time of independence in 1947. But Hindus have filed a case in the Supreme Court seeking a change in this act. They claim that this act cannot restore the religious character of Hindu religious places ‘encroached’ before August 15, 1947.