Places of Worship Act

MP from Kairana, UP, has approached the Supreme Court for the effective implementation of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.

• About Key Provisions under the Act:

o Section 3: Prohibits conversion of a place of worship or any part of it into one belonging to a different religious denomination or class.

o Section 4(2): All pending cases related to the change of religious nature of places of worship on August 15, 1947, shall abate after the Act’s enforcement, and no fresh action can be taken.

• Government Obligation: Ensures the religious character of places of worship remains unchanged as per independence-era status.
• Exceptions: Ayodhya dispute (Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid) was exempted.

o Other exemptions include: Ancient and historical monuments under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.

• Supreme Court’s View: In the 2019 Ayodhya verdict, the Constitutional Bench stated that the Act upholds secular values and strictly prohibits retrogression.